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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration File No. 333-220997
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Maximum Offering of $5,000,000,000
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. is a recently organized corporation formed to invest primarily in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate and debt secured by commercial real estate. We are externally managed by our advisor, Starwood REIT Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Advisor”). The Advisor is an affiliate of our sponsor, Starwood Capital Group Holdings, L.P. (“Starwood Holdings” and together with any entity that is controlled by, controls or is under common control with Starwood Holdings, and any of their respective predecessor entities, “Starwood Capital”), a leading global investment manager. Our objective is to bring Starwood Capital’s leading real estate investment platform with an institutional fee structure to thenon-listed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) industry. We expect to elect to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ending December 31, 2019. We are not a mutual fund and do not intend to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
We are offering on a continuous basis up to $5,000,000,000 in shares of common stock, consisting of up to $4,000,000,000 in shares in our primary offering and up to $1,000,000,000 in shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. We are offering to sell any combination of four classes of shares of our common stock, Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. The share classes have different upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, and different ongoing stockholder servicing fees. The purchase price per share for each class of common stock will vary and generally will equal our prior month’s net asset value (“NAV”) per share, as determined monthly, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. We may offer shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. This is a “best efforts” offering, which means that Starwood Capital, L.L.C., the dealer manager for this offering, will use its best efforts to sell shares, but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of shares in this offering.
This investment involves a high degree of risk. You should purchase these securities only if you can afford the complete loss of your investment. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 35 for risks to consider before buying our shares, including:
• | We have a limited operating history, and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objectives. |
• | This is a “blind pool” offering. We have made limited investments to date and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our future investments before we make them. |
• | Since there is no public trading market for shares of our common stock, repurchase of shares by us will likely be the only way to dispose of your shares. Our share repurchase plan will provide stockholders with the opportunity to request that we repurchase their shares on a monthly basis, but we are not obligated to repurchase any shares and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion. In addition, repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. As a result, our shares should be considered as having only limited liquidity and at times may be illiquid. |
• | We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. |
• | The purchase and repurchase price for shares of our common stock are generally based on our prior month’s NAV (subject to material changes as described above) and are not based on any public trading market. While there will be independent annual appraisals of our properties, the appraisal of properties is inherently subjective, and our NAV may not accurately reflect the actual price at which our properties could be liquidated on any given day. |
• | We have no employees and are dependent on the Advisor to conduct our operations. The Advisor will face conflicts of interest as a result of, among other things, the allocation of investment opportunities among us and Other Starwood Accounts (as defined herein), the allocation of time of its investment professionals and the substantial fees that we will pay to the Advisor. |
• | This is a “best efforts” offering. If we are not able to raise a substantial amount of capital in the near term, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be adversely affected. |
• | There are limits on the ownership and transferability of our shares. See “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” |
• | If we fail to qualify as a REIT and no relief provisions apply, our NAV and cash available for distribution to our stockholders could materially decrease. |
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Attorney General of the State of New York nor any other state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The use of forecasts in this offering is prohibited. Any oral or written predictions about the amount or certainty of any cash benefits or tax consequences that may result from an investment in our common stock is prohibited. No one is authorized to make any statements about this offering different from those that appear in this prospectus.
Price to the Public(1) | Upfront Selling Commission(2) | Dealer Manager Fees(2) | Proceeds to Us, Before Expenses(3) | |||||||||||||
Maximum Primary Offering(4) | $ | 4,000,000,000 | $ | 62,801,932 | $ | 4,830,918 | $ | 3,932,367,150 | ||||||||
Class T Shares, per Share | $ | 20.85 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 0.10 | $ | 20.15 | ||||||||
Class S Shares, per Share | $ | 20.92 | $ | 0.71 | — | $ | 20.21 | |||||||||
Class D Shares, per Share | $ | 20.19 | — | — | $ | 20.19 | ||||||||||
Class I Shares, per Share | $ | 20.24 | — | — | $ | 20.24 | ||||||||||
Maximum Distribution Reinvestment Plan | $ | 1,000,000,000 | — | — | $ | 1,000,000,000 |
(1) | The price per share shown for each of our classes of shares is equal to the transaction price as of April 1, 2019, which is equal to such class’s NAV per share as of February 28, 2019, plus applicable selling commissions and dealer manager fees. |
(2) | The table assumes that all shares are sold in the primary offering, with 25% of the gross offering proceeds from the sale of each of our Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares. The number of shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from this assumption. For Class T shares sold in the primary offering, investors will pay upfront selling commissions of up to 3.0% of the transaction price and upfront dealer manager fees of 0.5% of the transaction price; however, such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold. For Class S shares sold in the primary offering, investors will pay upfront selling commissions of up to 3.5% of the transaction price. We will also pay the following selling commissions over time as stockholder servicing fees to the dealer manager, subject to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) limitations on underwriting compensation: (a) for Class T shares only, an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum, and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV for the Class T shares; however, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares, (b) for Class S shares only, a stockholder servicing fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares and (c) for Class D shares only, a stockholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No stockholder servicing fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We will also pay or reimburse certain organization and offering expenses. See “Plan of Distribution,” “Estimated Use of Proceeds” and “Compensation.” |
(3) | Proceeds are calculated before deducting stockholder servicing fees or organization and offering expenses payable by us, which are paid over time. |
(4) | We reserve the right to reallocate shares of common stock between our distribution reinvestment plan and our primary offering. |
The date of this prospectus is April 16, 2019
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Shares of our common stock are suitable only as a long-term investment for persons of adequate financial means who do not need near-term liquidity from their investment. We do not expect there to be a public market for our shares and thus it may be difficult for you to sell your shares. On a limited basis, you may be able to have your shares repurchased through our share repurchase plan, although we are not obligated to repurchase any shares and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion. You should not buy shares of our common stock if you need to sell them in the near future. The minimum initial investment in shares of our common stock that we will accept for shares of our Class T, Class S or Class D common stock is $5,000. The minimum initial investment in shares of our common stock that we will accept for shares of our Class I common stock is $1,000,000, unless waived by the dealer manager.
In consideration of these factors, we require that a purchaser of shares of our common stock have either:
• | a net worth of at least $250,000; or |
• | a gross annual income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000. |
For purposes of determining whether you satisfy the standards above, your net worth is calculated excluding the value of your home, home furnishings and automobiles.
Certain states have established suitability standards in addition to the minimum income and net worth standards described above. Shares will be sold to investors in these states only if they meet the additional suitability standards set forth below. Certain broker-dealers selling shares in this offering may impose greater suitability standards than the minimum income and net worth standards described above and the state-specific suitability standards described below.
Alabama Investors. Purchasers residing in Alabama may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and our affiliates.
California Investors. Purchasers residing in California may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.
Idaho Investors. Purchasers residing in Idaho must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, the total investment in us shall not exceed 10% of their liquid net worth.
Iowa Investors. Purchasers residing in Iowa must have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000. In addition, the aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of other public,non-listed REITs may not exceed 10% of their net worth. Purchasers who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are not subject to the foregoing concentration limit.
Kansas Investors. It is recommended by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner that Kansas investors limit their aggregate investment in us and othernon-traded real estate investment trusts to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth.
Kentucky Investors. Purchasers residing in Kentucky may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us or in other publicnon-listed REITs affiliated with us.
Maine Investors. The Maine Office of Securities recommends that an investor’s aggregate investment in this offering and other similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of the investor’s liquid net worth.
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Massachusetts Investors. Purchasers residing in Massachusetts must limit their aggregate investment in us and other illiquid direct participation programs to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth.
Missouri Investors. Purchasers residing in Missouri must limit their investment in this offering to 10% of their liquid net worth.
Nebraska Investors. Purchasers residing in Nebraska who do not meet the definition of “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, must limit their aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of othernon-listed REITs to 10% of such investor’s net worth.
New Jersey Investors. Purchasers residing in New Jersey are required to have (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. In addition, a New Jersey investor’s investment in us, our affiliates, and othernon-listed direct investment programs (including REITs, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of the investor’s liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth,” for these purposes, is that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home furnishings, and automobiles, minus total liability) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.
New Mexico Investors. Purchasers residing in New Mexico may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in our shares, shares of our affiliates and other public,non-listed REITs.
North Dakota Investors. Purchasers residing in North Dakota must have a net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.
Ohio Investors. It shall be unsuitable for an Ohio investor’s aggregate investment in us, our affiliates and other nontraded real estate investment programs to exceed ten percent (10%) of his, her or its liquid net worth.
Oregon Investors. Purchasers residing in Oregon may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.
Pennsylvania Investors. Purchasers residing in Pennsylvania may not invest more than 10% of their net worth in us. In addition, because the minimum offering amount is less than $265,000,000, you are cautioned to carefully evaluate our ability to fully accomplish our stated objectives, and to inquire as to the current dollar value of our subscriptions.
Puerto Rico Investors. Purchasers residing in Puerto Rico may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us, our affiliates, and in other non-traded REITs. For purposes of Puerto Rico’s suitability standard, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings, and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents, and readily marketable securities.
Tennessee Investors. Purchasers residing in Tennessee must have a liquid net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.
Vermont Investors. In addition to meeting the applicable suitability standards set forth above, each investor who is not an “accredited investor” as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501 may not purchase an amount of shares in this offering that exceeds 10% of the investor’s liquid net worth. Vermont residents who are “accredited investors” as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501 are not subject to the limitation described in this paragraph.
For the purpose of these suitability standards “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable investments.
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Our sponsor and each person selling shares on our behalf must make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of shares of our common stock is a suitable and appropriate investment for each investor. In making this determination, our sponsor and the dealer manager will rely upon information provided by the investor to the participating broker-dealer as well as the suitability assessment made by each participating broker-dealer. Before you purchase shares of our common stock, your participating broker-dealer, authorized representative or other person placing shares on your behalf will rely on relevant information provided by you to determine that you:
• | meet the minimum income and net worth standards established in your state; |
• | are or will be in a financial position appropriate to enable you to realize the potential benefits described in the prospectus; and |
• | are able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on your overall financial situation. |
Participating broker-dealers are required to maintain for six years records of the information used to determine that an investment in shares of our common stock is suitable and appropriate for a stockholder.
By signing the subscription agreement required for purchases of our common stock, you represent and warrant to us that you have received a copy of this prospectus and that you meet the net worth and annual gross income requirements described above. Our sponsor and each person selling shares on our behalf has an obligation to take reasonable efforts to determine that the purchase of our shares is a suitable and appropriate investment for each shareholder. In fulfilling this obligation, we rely, in part, on your representations and warranties regarding your receipt of this prospectus and regarding your net worth and annual gross income. In the event you, another stockholder or a regulatory authority attempt to hold us liable because stockholders did not receive copies of this prospectus or because we failed to adhere to each state’s suitability requirements, we will assert these representations and warranties made by you in any proceeding in which such potential liability is disputed in an attempt to avoid any such liability. By making these representations, you do not waive any rights that you may have under federal or state securities laws.
Please carefully read the information in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplements, which we refer to collectively as the “prospectus.” You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date later than the date hereof or such other dates as are stated herein or as of the respective dates of any documents or other information incorporated herein by reference.
The words “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries, including Starwood REIT Operating Partnership, L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership of which we are the general partner, unless the context requires otherwise.
Unless otherwise noted, numerical information relating to Starwood Capital and its affiliates is approximate, is as of December 31, 2018, and includes activities of public companies and private funds advised by affiliates of Starwood Capital.
Citations included herein to industry sources are used only to demonstrate third-party support for certain statements made herein to which such citations relate. Information included in such industry sources that do not relate to supporting the related statements made herein are not part of this prospectus and should not be relied upon.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements about our business, including, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies and objectives. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue” or other similar words. These statements include our plans and objectives for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to future growth and availability of funds, and are based on current expectations that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Assumptions relating to these statements involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to accurately predict and many of which are beyond our control. Although we believe the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, and the forward-looking statements themselves, are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and our actual results, performance and achievements may be materially different from that expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward looking statements, the inclusion of this information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that our objectives and plans, which we consider to be reasonable, will be achieved.
You should carefully review the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of the risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition. Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, we do not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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This prospectus summary highlights certain information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This is only a summary and it may not contain all of the information that is important to you. Before deciding to invest in this offering, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including the “Risk Factors” section.
Q: | What is Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.? |
A: | We are a Maryland corporation formed on June 22, 2017. We are externally managed by our advisor, Starwood REIT Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Advisor”), a Delaware limited liability company. The Advisor is a subsidiary of our sponsor, Starwood Capital Group Holdings, L.P. (“Starwood Holdings” and together with any entity that is controlled by, controls or is under common control with Starwood Holdings, and any of their respective predecessor entities, “Starwood Capital”). |
Q: | Who is Starwood Capital? |
A: | Founded in 1991, Starwood Capital is generally regarded as one of the world’s leading private real estate investment firms, with over $60 billion in assets under management. It has sponsored 15 private opportunistic real estate funds, 16co-investment entities and eight public companies since its inception. Starwood Capital also has built one of the most highly regarded and experienced teams in the real estate business, with its senior executive and investment committees working together for an average of 16 years and possessing an average of 25 years of industry expertise, across all stages of the investment cycle. The global private equity real estate publicationPERE presented Starwood Capital with numerous 2017 and 2018 honors, including: |
• | Global Firm of the Year (2017); |
• | Global Capital Raise of the Year (2017); |
• | Global Hotel & Leisure Investor of the Year (2018); |
• | North American Firm of the Year (2017 and 2018); |
• | North American Industry Figure of the Year (2017); |
• | North American Deal of the Year (2017); |
• | European Deal of the Year: Principal Hotels (2018); |
• | German Firm of the Year (2018); |
• | Nordics Firm of the Year (2018); and |
• | #3 in thePERE50 ranking of the top private equity real estate firms (2018). |
Starwood Capital has approximately 4,000 employees, exclusive of personnel employed by portfolio companies ofclosed-end funds managed by Starwood Capital. Starwood Capital’s investment professionals have broad operating experience in virtually all real estate classes, with acquisitions and asset management organized into dedicated teams by asset type to leverage expertise and maximize asset performance.
Q: | What are your investment objectives? |
A: | Our investment objectives are to invest in assets that will enable us to: |
• | provide current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield; |
• | preserve and protect invested capital; |
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• | realize appreciation in net asset value (“NAV”) from proactive investment management and asset management; and |
• | provide an investment alternative for stockholders seeking to allocate a portion of their long-term investment portfolios to commercial real estate with lower volatility than publicly traded real estate companies. |
We cannot assure you that we will achieve our investment objectives. See the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus.
Q: | What is your investment strategy? |
A: | Our investment strategy is primarily to acquire stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate and debt secured by commercial real estate. Our portfolio principally will be comprised of properties, and debt secured by properties, located in the United States but may also be diversified on a global basis through investments in properties and debt secured by properties, outside of the United States, with a focus on Europe. To a lesser extent, and subject to the investment limitations described herein, we also may invest in real estate-related securities to provide a source of liquidity for our share repurchase plan, cash management and other purposes. Such investments in real estate-related securities will be made consistent with our intent to not fall within the definition of “investment company” under the Investment Company Act or otherwise in accordance with the exception from such definition provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. |
Our investment strategy seeks to capitalize on Starwood Capital’s scale and the real-time information provided by its real estate holdings to identify and acquire our target investments at attractive pricing. We also seek to benefit from Starwood Capital’s reputation and ability to transact in scale with speed and certainty, and its long-standing and extensive relationships in the real estate industry.
Q: | Do you currently own any investments? |
A: | Yes. See “Investment Portfolio” for a detailed discussion of our current investments. |
Q: | What types of properties and debt investments do you intend to acquire? |
A: | Our investments in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate will focus on a range of asset types. These may include multifamily, office, hotel, industrial and retail assets, as well as other property types, including, without limitation, medical office, student housing, senior living, data centers, manufactured housing and storage properties. Our real estate-related debt investments will focus on first mortgage, subordinated mortgage and mezzanine loans, participations in such loans and other forms of debt secured by or related to the foregoing types of commercial real estate. |
Q: | What potential competitive strengths does the Advisor offer? |
A: | We believe the most powerful potential competitive strength of the Advisor is its affiliation with Starwood Capital, which is one of the largest buyers, sellers and managers of commercial real estate in the world. The Advisor believes its success in executing our investment strategy will be supported by Starwood Capital’s distinctive potential competitive strengths, including: |
Deep Market and Asset Knowledge. Starwood Capital has been a very active investor in the U.S. and European commercial real estate markets for 27 years. Starwood Capital owns or manages the following investments in the United States and Europe:
• | 76,000 multifamily units; |
• | 26 million square feet of office buildings; |
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• | 600 hotel properties, ranging from select service hotels to ultra-luxury resorts; and |
• | 33 million square feet of retail properties. |
We expect the proprietary data generated by Starwood Capital’s property portfolio will enable us to target specific themes with conviction and deploy significant amounts of capital.
Strong Relationships within the Industry. The resources, relationships, and proprietary information of Starwood Capital provide a deep sourcing network for new opportunities. We believe Starwood Capital sees significantly more deal flow than most of its competitors because of its scale. Indeed, a large portion of the transactions ultimately completed by Starwood Capital are sourced completelyoff-market through existing, deep relationships.
DeepHands-On Real Estate Perspective. Starwood Capital has 27 years of experience covering every real estate asset class. The firm has acquired over $100 billion of real estate assets since inception, generating strong returns throughout that period. Starwood Capital also operates one of the largest commercial mortgage real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) in the United States, which has deployed approximately $51 billion in capital since it commenced operations in 2009.
Investment Agility. A hallmark of Starwood Capital is its ability to pursue a wide variety of investment opportunities as they emerge, moving from asset class to asset class, shifting geographies from the United States to select international markets and changing positions in the capital stack as its investment professionals perceive risk/return dynamics to be evolving. Starwood Capital’s reputation, sophistication, highly experienced team, speed, access to capital and ability to execute provide it with a competitive sourcing advantage. Starwood Capital’s ability to conduct detailed due diligence in a timely and efficient manner will afford the Advisor, through its relationship with Starwood Capital, an edge in closing complicated and time-sensitive investments on our behalf, which typically are some of the most compelling opportunities.
Operational Expertise. Starwood Capital has broad real estate operating experience, with asset management organized into dedicated teams by specialty. The firm has created a number of platforms that are designed to enhance operational efficiencies and maximize the value of underlying assets. In addition, Starwood Capital’sin-house loan workout expertise gives it the ability to find value in the debt markets.
Capital Markets Skills. Starwood Capital believes that its capital markets expertise is a core competency that sets it apart from more traditional real estate investors. Starwood Capital’s team constantly evaluates real estate in relation to the respective capital markets’ valuations in order to take advantage of pricing inefficiencies. Specifically, when the public markets are willing to pay more for assets or platforms than could be generated from longer-term holds or individual asset sales, Starwood Capital has the knowledge and capability to act on this arbitrage. Starwood Capital’s expert team and global network of lending relationships have allowed it to obtainbest-in-market terms for investors, while using financing brokers sparingly. The firm’s skilledin-house capital markets team has closed transactions totaling $77 billion since 2010. In addition, Starwood Capital has completed several public market executions since its formation.
Design Leadership. Starwood Capital believes that it possesses an expertise in the design of real estate assets that is unsurpassed in the private equity industry. This sensibility starts at the top: Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Capital’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, is a member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame. In addition, Starwood Capital’s Head of Design was recently inducted into the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle. A number of Starwood Capital’s assets have been acclaimed for their aesthetics, which ultimately help drive value for the firm’s investors.
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Strong Risk-Adjusted Performance. Starwood Capital’s disciplined investment approach has enabled it to consistently deliver strong performance across its investments since inception. See “Prior Performance” and “Appendix A: Prior Performance Tables” for more information on Starwood Capital’s prior programs.
Seasoned, Stable Management Team. The senior executive and investment committees at Starwood Capital has worked together for an average of 16 years, and possesses an average of 25 years of industry experience across all real estate asset classes. The key leaders for the business bring a wealth of diverse and complementary skills to their roles. We will directly benefit from the expertise of several members of Starwood Capital’s senior team who will serve as our directors and executive officers and as members of the Advisor’s Investment Committee, as applicable.
Q: | How are the interests of Starwood Capital and the Advisor aligned with the interests of investors in this offering? |
A: | In contrast with sponsors of most public,non-listed REIT offerings that invest only $200,000 in shares of common stock of the REIT, Starwood Capital has purchased $5 million in Class I shares. Starwood Capital or its affiliate may not submit these Class I shares for repurchase until the third anniversary of their purchase, and any such repurchase request may be accepted only after all requests from unaffiliated stockholders first have been fulfilled. In addition, the fees that we pay the Advisor to source our investments and manage our operations are based on our NAV and the returns we generate for our public stockholders in the form of distributions and appreciation in the NAV per share of our common stock. |
Q: | Why do you intend to invest in real estate-related securities in addition to real properties and real estate-related debt? |
A: | Our real estate-related securities investments will focus on the common and preferred stock of publicly traded REITs and other real estate companies and may include commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”). We believe that our real estate-related securities will help maintain liquidity to satisfy any stock repurchases we choose to make in any particular month and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into properties and real estate-related debt while also seeking attractive investment return. Such investments in real estate-related securities will be made consistent with our intent to not fall within the definition of “investment company” under the Investment Company Act or otherwise in accordance with the exception from such definition provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. |
The Advisor has entered into an Investment Management Agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (“BlackRock”). Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock will serve as a sub-advisor to the Advisor and act as the investment manager for our portfolio of real estate-related securities and other investments that provide liquidity for our share repurchase plan, cash management and other purposes. Real estate-related securities may comprise up to 20% of our assets. As of June 30, 2018, BlackRock managed approximately $6.3 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide and is considered a high quality, financially strong investor in real estate-related securities. Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock’s fee for its services shall be paid entirely by the Advisor and not by our company.
Q: | What is a real estate investment trust, or REIT? |
A: | We intend to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our taxable year ending December 31, 2019. |
In general, a REIT is a company that:
• | combines the capital of many investors to acquire or provide financing for real estate assets; |
• | offers the benefits of a real estate portfolio under professional management; |
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• | satisfies the various requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including a requirement to distribute to stockholders at least 90% of its REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gain) each year; and |
• | is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxes on its net taxable income that it currently distributes to its stockholders, which substantially eliminates the “double taxation” (i.e., taxation at both the corporate and stockholder levels) that generally results from investments in a C corporation. |
Q: | What is anon-listed, perpetual-life REIT? |
A: | Anon-listed REIT is a REIT whose shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market. We use the term “perpetual-life REIT” to describe an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose shares of common stock are intended to be sold by the REIT on a continuous basis at a price generally equal to the REIT’s prior month’s NAV per share. In our perpetual-life structure, our stockholders may request that we repurchase all or a portion of their shares on a monthly basis, but we are not obligated to repurchase any shares and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion. |
We are not required to operate as a perpetual-life entity pursuant to our charter. Our board of directors maintains sole discretion to change our strategy as circumstances change. Subject to market conditions, our board of directors may determine to pursue strategic transactions that would provide liquidity to our stockholders, such as listing our shares on a national securities exchange, a merger into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, certain of which transactions would require stockholder approval. In evaluating whether to pursue a liquidity event and which type of transaction to pursue, we expect that our board of directors will take all relevant factors at that time into consideration consistent with the board’s fiduciary duties to our stockholders.
Q: | How do you identify investments and make decisions on whether to acquire properties and debt investments? |
A: | The Advisor has the authority to implement our investment strategy, as determined by, and subject to the direction of, our board of directors. |
We believe Starwood Capital sees significantly more deal flow than most of its competitors because of its strong ties to major real estate owners and brokers, its track record of closing on investments to which it commits, and its fair and honest treatment of counterparties. Starwood Capital believes it has earned a reputation as a leading investor in the real estate market because of its capacity to underwrite and source large, complex transactions across multiple property sectors.
In addition, Starwood Capital has developed a strong network of relationships with real estate owners, leading financial institutions, operating partners, senior business executives and government officials. These relationships provide market knowledge and form the backbone of its investment-sourcing network. Starwood Capital has, and expects to continue to have, a significant volume of deal flow. Primary sources of Starwood Capital transactions include:
• | relationships of Starwood Capital’s senior managing directors and professionals; |
• | major corporations, real estate owners and real estate operators with which Starwood Capital has worked in the past and that wish to divest assets or partner with Starwood Capital; |
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• | investment/commercial banks; |
• | brokers/dealers; and |
• | borrowers. |
In Starwood Capital’s opinion, its strong market position makes it attractive to potential sellers, which sometimes approach Starwood Capital on anoff-market basis because Starwood Capital is one of the few firms that can manage large and complex property acquisitions. This market recognition gives Starwood Capital leverage to achieve better pricing when negotiating such transactions.
Q: | Will you use leverage? |
A: | Yes. We have used leverage, and we expect to continue to use leverage. Our target leverage ratio after we have raised substantial proceeds in this offering and acquired a diversified portfolio of real estate investments is 50% to 65% of our gross real estate assets (measured using the greater of fair market value and cost of gross real estate assets, including equity in our real-estate related debt and securities portfolios), inclusive of property-level and entity-level debt net of cash, but excluding debt on our real estate-related debt and securities portfolios. There is, however, no limit on the amount we may borrow with respect to any individual property or portfolio. |
We have also placed limits in our charter prohibiting us from borrowing more than 300% of our net assets, which approximates borrowing 75% of the cost of our investments. We may exceed this limit if a majority of our independent directors approves each borrowing in excess of the limit and we disclose the justification for doing so to our stockholders.
Financing a portion of the purchase price of our assets will allow us to broaden our portfolio by increasing the funds available for investment. Financing a portion, which may be substantial, of the purchase price is not free from risk. Using debt requires us to pay interest and principal, referred to as “debt service,” all of which decrease the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders or other purposes. We may also be unable to refinance the debt at maturity on favorable or equivalent terms, if at all, exposing us to the potential risk of loss with respect to assets pledged as collateral for loans. Certain of our debt may be floating rate and the effective interest rates on such debt will increase when the relevant interest benchmark (e.g., LIBOR) increases.
For additional information on our leverage, see “Investment Objectives and Strategy—Borrowing Policies.”
Q: | Do your investment guidelines overlap with the objectives or guidelines of any of Starwood Capital’s affiliates, and do any of Starwood Capital’s affiliates receive priority with respect to certain investments? |
A: | We believe our investment objectives, guidelines and strategy are generally distinct from Other Starwood Accounts (as defined below). Accordingly, we expect there to be sufficient investment opportunities for us within our investment guidelines because of the scale of the real estate market. There will, however, be overlap of real property, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts. This overlap will from time to time create conflicts of interest, which the Advisor and its affiliates will seek to manage in a fair and reasonable manner in their sole discretion in accordance with Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures. See “Conflicts of Interests.” |
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With respect to Other Starwood Accounts with investment objectives or guidelines that overlap with ours but that do not have priority over us, investment opportunities will be allocated among us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts in accordance with Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures on a basis that the Advisor and its affiliates believe to be fair and reasonable in their sole discretion, which will either be rotational or on a co-invest basis subject to the following considerations: (i) any applicable investment objectives of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts (which, for us, includes our primary objective of providing current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield); (ii) the sourcing of the transaction; (iii) the size and nature of the investment; (iv) the relative amounts of capital available for investment by us and such Other Starwood Accounts; (v) the sector, geography/location, expected return profile, expected distribution rates, anticipated cash flows, expected stability or volatility of cash flows, leverage profile, risk profile, and other features of the applicable investment opportunity and its impact on portfolio concentration and diversification; (vi) avoiding allocation that could result in de minimis or odd-lot investments; (vii) any structural and operational differences between us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any applicable investment limitations (including, without limitation, exposure limits, hedging limits and diversification considerations) of us and such Other Starwood Accounts, investment limitations, parameters or contractual provisions of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts; (viii) the eligibility of us and such Other Starwood Accounts to make such investment under applicable laws; (ix) any other applicable tax, accounting, legal, regulatory compliance or operational considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor and its affiliates (including, without limitation, maintaining our qualification as a REIT and our status as a non-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act) (e.g., joint venture investments between us and an Other Starwood Account must be on the same terms and satisfy the restrictions of all participants, such as lowest leverage targeted by any participant); and (x) any other requirements contained in the corporate governance documents of us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates in good faith. Our board of directors (including our independent directors) has the duty to ensure that the allocation methodology described above is applied fairly to us.
Currently, one Other Starwood Account invests in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States, although its portfolio is currently limited to four shopping malls in the United States and it has completed its investment activity. As of September 30, 2018, this Other Starwood Account had approximately $1.0 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value).
Additionally, one Other Starwood Account, a separate account of approximately $300 million, invests primarily in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States and Western Europe. This Other Starwood Account’s portfolio currently consists of one hotel property and two office buildings in the United States and three office buildings in Western Europe. To the extent an investment satisfies the investment objectives of us and such Other Starwood Account on the same terms, such investment will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above; provided, however, that such Other Starwood Account generally will not participate inco-investments. As of December 31, 2018, the foregoing Other Starwood Account had approximately $18.4 million of unused capital commitments.
Furthermore, one Other Starwood Account, Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (“Starwood Property Trust”), a REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), focuses primarily on originating, acquiring, financing and managing commercial mortgage loans, other commercial real estate debt investments and CMBS in both the United States and Europe. Starwood Property Trust has priority over us with respect to real estate-related debt investment opportunities. This priority will result in fewer real estate-related debt investment opportunities being made available to us.
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In addition, in its property segment, Starwood Property Trust acquires (i) commercial properties subject to net leases and other similar equity investments that have the characteristics of real estate debt investments, or “debt-like equity investments” and (ii) equity interests in stabilized commercial real estate properties. As of December 31, 2018, Starwood Property Trust’s portfolio (excluding VIE Assets, at fair value) consisted of approximately $14.8 billion of assets (including approximately $2.8 billion in properties, net). To the extent that Starwood Property Trust seeks to invest in real estate equity investments, (i) Starwood Property Trust will have a priority over us with respect to debt-like equity investments, and (ii) we will have a priority over Starwood Property Trust with respect to any other real estate equity investments (single asset or portfolio acquisitions) where the total acquisition cost is less than or equal to $300 million. All other real estate equity investments in which Starwood Property Trust may invest will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above.
One Other Starwood Account, Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited (“SEREF”), a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, focuses on originating, executing and servicing commercial real estate loans for institutional investors throughout Europe. SEREF has priority over us with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate. We do not expect to target the same commercial real estate loans as SEREF, but to the extent that we do, SEREF’s priority will result in fewer investment opportunities related to European real estate debt being made available to us.
Finally, certain select Other Starwood Accounts which we refer to as “Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts” invest in “opportunistic” real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities globally (which often are under-managed assets and with higher potential for equity appreciation) and have priority over us with respect to such investment opportunities. As of December 31, 2018, there were two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts that had priority over us. These two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts had an aggregate of $7.6 billion of unused investing capacity. The priority granted to these Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts will result in fewer investment opportunities being made available to us. These two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, which were not fully invested as of December 31, 2018, had an aggregate of $19.9 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value). Other than (i) the priority granted to Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, (ii) the priority granted to Starwood Property Trust with respect to real estate-related debt and debt-like equity investments and (iii) the priority granted to SEREF with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate, no Other Starwood Accounts have priority over us with respect to investment opportunities. However, Starwood Capital may in the future grant priority to additional Other Starwood Accounts.
While the Advisor will seek to manage potential conflicts of interest in a fair and reasonable manner (subject to the priority rights of the Starwood Property Trust and Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts described above) as required pursuant to our charter and the advisory agreement among us, the Advisor and the Operating Partnership (the “Advisory Agreement”), the portfolio strategies employed by the Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates in managing the Other Starwood Accounts could conflict with the strategies employed by the Advisor in managing our business and may adversely affect the marketability, exit strategy, prices and availability of the properties, securities and instruments in which we invest. The Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates may also give advice to the Other Starwood Accounts that may differ from advice given to us even though their investment objectives or guidelines may be the same or similar to ours.
“Other Starwood Accounts” means investment funds, REITs, vehicles, accounts, products and other similar arrangements sponsored, advised or managed by Starwood Capital, whether currently in existence or subsequently established (in each case, including any related successor funds, alternative vehicles, supplemental capital vehicles, surge funds, over-flow funds,co-investment vehicles and other entities
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formed in connection with Starwood Capital or its affiliatesside-by-side or additional general partner investments with respect thereto).
Q: | Will you acquire properties and real estate-related debt in joint ventures, including joint ventures with affiliates? |
A: | We may acquire properties and real estate-related debt through one or more joint ventures with affiliates of the Advisor or withnon-affiliated third parties. Any joint venture with an affiliate of the Advisor must be approved by a majority of our directors (including a majority of our independent directors) as being fair and reasonable to us and on substantially the same, or more favorable, terms and conditions as those received by other affiliate joint venture partners. In many cases, we may not control the management of joint ventures in which we invest, but we may have the right to approve major decisions of the joint venture. We may pay fees to our joint venture partners, including incentive fees and promotes. We will not participate in joint ventures in which we do not have or share control to the extent that we believe such participation would potentially threaten our status as anon-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act. This may prevent us from receiving an allocation with respect to certain investment opportunities that are suitable for both us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts. |
Q: | How is an investment in shares of your common stock different from listed REITs? |
A: | An investment in shares of our common stock generally differs from an investment in listed REITs in a number of ways, including: |
• | Shares of listed REITs are priced by the trading market, which is influenced generally by numerous factors, not all of which are related to the underlying value of the entity’s real estate assets and liabilities. The estimated value of our real estate assets and liabilities will be used to determine our NAV rather than the trading market. |
• | An investment in our shares has limited or no liquidity and our share repurchase plan may be modified, suspended or terminated. In contrast, an investment in a listed REIT is a liquid investment, as shares can be sold on an exchange at any time. |
• | Listed REITs generally are self-managed, whereas our investment operations are managed by the Advisor, which is part of Starwood Capital. |
• | Unlike the offering of a listed REIT, this offering has been registered in every state and jurisdiction in which we are offering and selling shares. As a result, we include certain limits in our governing documents that are not typically provided for in the charter of a listed REIT. For example, our charter limits the fees we may pay to the Advisor and its affiliates, limits our ability to make certain investments, limits the aggregate amount we may borrow, requires our independent directors to approve certain actions and restricts our ability to indemnify our directors, the Advisor and its affiliates. A listed REIT does not typically provide for these restrictions within its charter. A listed REIT is, however, subject to the governance requirements of the exchange on which its stock is traded, including requirements relating to its board of directors, audit committee, independent director oversight of executive compensation and the director nomination process, code of conduct, stockholder meetings, related party transactions, stockholder approvals, and voting rights. Although we expect to follow many of these same governance guidelines, there is no requirement that we do so. |
Q: | For whom may an investment in your shares be appropriate? |
A: | An investment in our shares may be appropriate for you if you: |
• | meet the minimum suitability standards described above under “Suitability Standards;” |
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• | seek to allocate a portion of your investment portfolio to a direct investment vehicle with an income-oriented portfolio of U.S. real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities; |
• | seek to receive current income through regular distribution payments; |
• | wish to obtain the potential benefit of long-term capital appreciation; and |
• | are able to hold your shares as a long-term investment and do not need liquidity from your investment quickly in the near future. |
We cannot assure you that an investment in our shares will allow you to realize any of these objectives. An investment in our shares is only intended for investors who do not need the ability to sell their shares quickly in the future since we are not obligated to repurchase any shares of our common stock and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion, and the opportunity to have your shares repurchased under our share repurchase plan may not always be available. See “Share Repurchases—Repurchase Limitations.”
Q: | How will you structure the ownership and operation of your assets? |
A: | We own, and plan to continue to own, all or substantially all of our assets through the Operating Partnership. We are the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Starwood REIT Special Limited Partner, L.L.C. (the “Special Limited Partner”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of our sponsor, owns a special limited partner interest in the Operating Partnership and is its sole limited partner. In addition, each of the Advisor and the Special Limited Partner may elect to receive units in the Operating Partnership in lieu of cash for its management fee and performance participation distributions, respectively. See “Compensation.” The Advisor and the Special Limited Partner may put these units back to the Operating Partnership and receive cash unless our board of directors determines that any such repurchase for cash would be prohibited by applicable law or our charter, in which case such Operating Partnership units will be repurchased for shares of our common stock. The use of our Operating Partnership to hold all of our assets is referred to as an Umbrella Partnership Real Estate Investment Trust (“UPREIT”). Using an UPREIT structure may give us an advantage in acquiring properties from persons who want to defer recognizing a gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following chart shows our current ownership structure and our relationship with our sponsor, the Advisor, Starwood Capital, L.L.C. (the “Dealer Manager”), and the Special Limited Partner. |
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Q: | Are there any risks involved in buying your shares? |
A: | Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. If we are unable to effectively manage the impact of these risks, we may not meet our investment objectives and, therefore, you should purchase our shares only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. An investment in shares of our common stock involves significant risks and is intended only for investors with a long-term investment horizon and who do not require immediate liquidity or guaranteed income. Some of the more significant risks relating to an investment in shares of our common stock include those listed below. |
• | We have a limited operating history, and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objectives. |
• | This is a “blind pool” offering. We have made limited investments to date and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our future investments before we make them. |
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• | Since there is no public trading market for shares of our common stock, repurchase of shares by us will likely be the only way to dispose of your shares. Our share repurchase plan will provide stockholders with the opportunity to request that we repurchase their shares on a monthly basis, but we are not obligated to repurchase any shares and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion. In addition, repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. As a result, our shares should be considered as having only limited liquidity and at times may be illiquid. |
• | We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do, we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner), and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. |
• | The purchase and repurchase price for shares of our common stock are generally based on our prior month’s NAV (subject to material changes as described above) and are not based on any public trading market. While there will be independent annual appraisals of our properties, the appraisal of properties is inherently subjective and our NAV may not accurately reflect the actual price at which our properties could be liquidated on any given day. |
• | We have no employees and are dependent on the Advisor to conduct our operations. The Advisor will face conflicts of interest as a result of, among other things, the allocation of investment opportunities among us and Other Starwood Accounts, the allocation of time of its investment professionals and the substantial fees that we will pay to the Advisor. |
• | This is a “best efforts” offering. If we are not able to raise a substantial amount of capital in the near term, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be adversely affected. |
• | Principal and interest payments on any borrowings will reduce the amount of funds available for distribution or investment in additional real estate assets. |
• | There are limits on the ownership and transferability of our shares. See “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” |
• | If we fail to qualify as a REIT and no relief provisions apply, our NAV and cash available for distribution to our stockholders could materially decrease. |
See “Risk Factors.”
Q: | What is the role of your board of directors and how are they elected? |
A: | We operate under the direction of our board of directors, the members of which are accountable to us and our stockholders as fiduciaries. We have nine directors, five of whom have been determined to be independent under our charter. Our independent directors are responsible for reviewing the performance of the Advisor and approving the compensation paid to the Advisor and its affiliates. Our directors are elected annually by our stockholders. The names and biographical information of our directors are provided under “Management—Directors and Executive Officers.” |
For so long as the Advisory Agreement is in effect, the Advisor has the right to nominate, subject to the approval of such nomination by our board of directors, three affiliated directors to the slate of directors to be voted on by our stockholders at our annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that such number of director nominees shall be reduced as necessary by a number that will result in a majority of directors being
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independent of Starwood Capital. Our board of directors must also consult with the Advisor in connection with (i) its selection of each independent director for nomination to the slate of directors to be voted on at the annual meeting of stockholders, and (ii) filling any vacancies created by the removal, resignation, retirement or death of any director.
Q: | What is the difference between the Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares of common stock being offered? |
A: | We are offering to the public four classes of shares of our common stock, Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The differences among the share classes relate to upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and ongoing stockholder servicing fees. No upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid with respect to Class D shares, and no upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees or stockholder servicing fees are paid with respect to Class I shares. See “Description of Capital Stock” and “Plan of Distribution” for a discussion of the differences between our Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares. |
Assuming a constant net asset value per share of $20.00 and assuming applicable stockholder servicing fees are paid until the 8.75% of gross proceeds limit described in “Compensation—Stockholder Servicing Fee” is reached, we expect that aone-time investment in 500 shares of each class of our shares (representing an aggregate net asset value of $10,000 for each class) would be subject to the following upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees:
Upfront Selling Commissions | Dealer Manager Fees | Annual Stockholder Servicing Fees | Maximum Stockholder Servicing Fees Over Life of Investment (Length of Time) | Total (Length of Time)(1) | ||||||||||||
Class T | $ | 300 | $ | 50 | $ | 85 | $556 (6.5 years) | $906 (6.5 years) | ||||||||
Class S | $ | 350 | $ | 0 | $ | 85 | $556 (6.5 years) | $906 (6.5 years) | ||||||||
Class D | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 25 | $875 (35 years) | $875 (35 years) | ||||||||
Class I | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $0 | $0 |
(1) | Represents the total amount of underwriting compensation to be paid on such investment and the number of years it would take to reach such amount with the assumptions described above. |
Class T and Class S shares are available through brokerage and transaction-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through certain registered investment advisors, (4) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (5) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers, (6) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Advisor, Starwood Capital or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our board of directors, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (7) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment Advisor regarding your account type and the classes of common stock you may be eligible to purchase.
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Certain participating broker-dealers may offer volume or other discounts, which would reduce upfront selling commissions and would therefore increase the length of time required for selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fee to reach 8.75% of gross proceeds. In the case of Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, a lower limit than 8.75% of gross proceeds may be used, as set forth in any applicable agreement between the Dealer Manager and a participating broker-dealer. See “—What fees do you pay to the Advisor and its affiliates?” and “Plan of Distribution—Underwriting Compensation—Upfront Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees.”
If you are eligible to purchase all four classes of shares, then in most cases you should purchase Class I shares because Class I shares have no upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees or stockholder servicing fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive stockholder services. If you are eligible to purchase Class T, Class S and Class D shares but not Class I shares, in most cases you should purchase Class D shares because Class D shares have no upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees and lower annual stockholder servicing fees.
Q: | What is the per share purchase price? |
A: | Each class of shares are sold at the then-current transaction price, which is generally the prior month’s NAV per share for such class, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. Although the offering price for shares of our common stock is generally based on the prior month’s NAV per share, the NAV per share of such stock as of the date on which your purchase is settled may be significantly different. We may offer shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share, including by updating a previously disclosed offering price, in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing fees differ with respect to each class. |
Q: | How is your NAV per share calculated? |
A: | Our NAV is calculated monthly based on the net asset values of our investments (including securities investments), the addition of any other assets (such as cash on hand) and the deduction of any other liabilities. Altus Group U.S. Inc., a third-party valuation firm, was selected by the Advisor and approved by our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, to serve as our independent valuation advisor. At the end of each calendar quarter, our independent valuation advisor will prepare appraisals for each of our properties other than those for which we obtained third-party appraisals during such quarter, or approximately three-quarters of our real estate portfolio, and review annual appraisals prepared by another third-party appraisal firm of our properties. Our independent valuation advisor will also prepare quarterly valuations for our real estate-related debt. The independent valuation advisor will also review and confirm the reasonableness of property valuations prepared by the Advisor for each month that is not aquarter-end. When identified by the Advisor, individual appraisals will be updated for events that materially impact our gross asset value; however, there may be a lag in time between the occurrence of such event(s) and the determination of the impact on our gross asset value. |
Our NAV per share is calculated by our fund administrator, The Bank of New York Mellon, a third-party firm that provides us with certain administrative and accounting services, and such calculation is reviewed and confirmed by the Advisor. In addition, the Advisor will update the valuations of our properties monthly, based on the most recent annual third-party appraisals and current market data and other relevant information, with review and confirmation for reasonableness by our independent valuation advisor. However, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for the determination of our NAV.
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NAV is not a measure used under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), and the valuations of and certain adjustments made to our assets and liabilities used in the determination of NAV will differ from GAAP. You should not consider NAV to be equivalent to stockholders’ equity or any other GAAP measure. See “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines” for more information regarding the calculation of our NAV per share of each class and how our properties, debt investments and securities will be valued.
Q: | Is there any minimum investment required? |
A: | The minimum initial investment in Class T, Class S or Class D shares of our common stock is $5,000, and the minimum subsequent investment in such shares is $500 per transaction. The minimum initial investment in Class I shares of our common stock is $1,000,000, and the minimum subsequent investment in such shares is $500 per transaction, unless such minimums are waived by the Dealer Manager. The minimum subsequent investment amount does not apply to purchases made under our distribution reinvestment plan. In addition, our board of directors may elect to accept smaller investments in its discretion. |
Q: | What is a “best efforts” offering? |
A: | This public offering of common stock is being conducted on a “best efforts” basis. A “best efforts” offering means that the Dealer Manager and the participating brokers are only required to use their best efforts to sell the shares. When shares are offered to the public on a “best efforts” basis, no underwriter, broker-dealer or other person has a firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of the shares. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that any minimum number of shares will be sold. |
Q: | What is the expected term of this offering? |
A: | We have registered $4,000,000,000 in shares of our common stock, in any combination of Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, to be sold in our primary offering and up to $1,000,000,000 in shares to be sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. It is our intent, however, to conduct a continuous offering for an indefinite period of time, by filing for additional offerings of our shares, subject to regulatory approval and continued compliance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and applicable state laws. |
We will endeavor to take all reasonable actions to avoid interruptions in the continuous offering of our shares of common stock. There can be no assurance, however, that we will not need to suspend our continuous offering while the SEC and, where required, state securities regulators, review such filings for additional offerings of our stock until such filings are declared effective, if at all.
Q: | When may I make purchases of shares? |
A: | Subscriptions to purchase our common stock may be made on an ongoing basis, but investors may only purchase our common stock pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first calendar day of each month (based on the prior month’s transaction price), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be received in good order at least five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived by the Dealer Manager). |
For example, if you wish to subscribe for shares of our common stock in October, your subscription request must be received in good order at least five business days before November 1. Generally, the offering price will equal the NAV per share of the applicable class as of the last calendar day of September, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. If accepted, your subscription will be effective on the first calendar day of November.
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Q: | When will the transaction price be available? |
A: | Generally, within 15 calendar days after the last calendar day of each month, we will determine our NAV per share for each share class as of the last calendar day of the prior month, which will generally be the transaction price for the then-current month for such share class. However, in certain circumstances, the transaction price will not be made available until a later time. We will disclose the transaction price for each month when available on our website atwww.starwoodNAV.reitand in prospectus supplements filed with the SEC. |
Generally, you will not be provided with direct notice of the transaction price when it becomes available. Therefore, if you wish to know the transaction price prior to your subscription being accepted you must check our website or our filings with the SEC prior to the time your subscription is accepted.
However, if the transaction price is not made available on or before the eighth business day before the first calendar day of the month (which is six business days before the earliest date we may accept subscriptions), or a previously disclosed transaction price for that month is changed, then we will provide notice of such transaction price (and the first day on which we may accept subscriptions) directly to subscribing investors when such transaction price is made available. In such cases, you will have at least three business days from delivery of such notice before your subscription is accepted. See “How to Subscribe.”
Q: | May I withdraw my subscription request once I have made it? |
A: | Yes. Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on our toll-free, automated telephone line, 877-648-3235. |
Q: | When will my subscription be accepted? |
A: | Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us before the later of (i) two business days before the first calendar day of each month and (ii) three business days after we make the transaction price (including any subsequent revised transaction price) publicly available by posting it on our website atwww.starwoodNAV.reit and filing a prospectus supplement with the SEC (or in certain cases after we have delivered notice of such price directly to you as discussed above). As a result, you will have a minimum of three business days after the transaction price for that month has been disclosed to withdraw your request before you are committed to purchase the shares. |
Q: | Will I receive distributions and how often? |
A: | We intend to declare distributions based on record dates established by our board of directors and to pay such distributions on a monthly basis. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our board of directors, considering factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Maryland law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time. You will not be entitled to receive a distribution if your shares are repurchased prior to the applicable time of the record date. |
Our board of directors’ discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the REIT requirements. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our stockholders of at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gains. See “Description of Capital Stock—Distribution Policy” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
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The per share amount of distributions on Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares will likely differ because of different allocations of class-specific stockholder servicing fees. Specifically, distributions on Class T and Class S shares will be lower than Class D shares, and Class D shares will be lower than Class I shares because we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing fees with respect to the Class T and Class S shares (compared to Class D shares and Class I shares) and we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing fees with respect to Class D shares (compared to Class I shares).
There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner, an affiliate of Starwood Capital), and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, the extent to which the Advisor elects to receive its management fee in Class I shares or Class I units and the Special Limited Partner elects to receive distributions on its performance participation interest in Class I units, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments, including our real estate-related debt and securities portfolios. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire properties or other real estate-related investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.
Q: | Will the distributions I receive be taxable as ordinary income? |
A: | The federal income tax treatment of distributions that you receive, including cash distributions that are reinvested pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, will depend upon the extent they are paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits and, accordingly, treated as dividends and upon whether any portion of such distributions are designated as qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends, both of which are subject at capital gains rates that do not exceed 20% fornon-corporate stockholders. Distributions from REITs that are treated as dividends but are not designated as qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends are treated as ordinary income. Under the legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the rate brackets fornon-corporate taxpayer’s ordinary income are adjusted, the top tax rate is reduced from 39.6% to 37%, and ordinary REIT dividends generally are taxed at even lower effective rates. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, distributions from REITs that are treated as dividends but are not designated as qualified dividends or capital gain dividends are taxed as ordinary income after deducting up to 20% of the amount of the dividend in the case of U.S.non-corporate stockholders. |
Dividends received from REITs are generally not eligible to be taxed at the lower capital gain rates applicable to individuals for “qualified dividend income” from C corporations (i.e., corporations generally subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax). In certain circumstances, we may designate a portion of our distributions as qualified dividend income, e.g., if we receive qualified dividends, but we do not expect to designate a substantial portion of our distributions as qualified dividend income. In addition, we may designate a portion of distributions as capital gain dividends taxable at capital gain rates to the extent we recognize net capital gains from sales of assets.
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A portion of your distributions may be considered return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Amounts considered a return of capital generally will not be subject to tax, but will instead reduce the tax basis of your investment. This, in effect, defers a portion of your tax until your shares are repurchased, you sell your shares or we are liquidated, at which time you generally will be taxed at capital gains rates. Because each investor’s tax position is different, you should consult with your tax advisor. In particular,non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors regarding potential withholding taxes on distributions that you receive. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Q: | May I reinvest my cash distributions in additional shares? |
A: | Yes. We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan whereby stockholders (other than clients of certain participating broker-dealers and residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Washington) will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock unless they elect to receive their distributions in cash. Clients of certain participating broker-dealers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to have their cash distributions reinvested in additional shares of our common stock. If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that you own will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. The purchase price for shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the transaction price for such shares at the time the distribution is payable. Stockholders will not pay upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees when purchasing shares under our distribution reinvestment plan; however, all outstanding Class T, Class S and Class D shares, including those purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing stockholder servicing fees. Participants may terminate their participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with ten business days’ prior written notice to us. See “Description of Capital Stock—Distribution Reinvestment Plan” for more information regarding the reinvestment of distributions you may receive from us. For the complete terms of the distribution reinvestment plan, see Appendix B to this prospectus. |
Q: | Can I request that my shares be repurchased? |
A: | Yes. However, while stockholders may request on a monthly basis that we repurchase all or any portion of their shares pursuant to our share repurchase plan, we are not obligated to repurchase any shares and may choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month in our discretion. In addition, our ability to fulfill repurchase requests is subject to a number of limitations. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each month. Under our share repurchase plan, to the extent we choose to repurchase shares in any particular month, we will only repurchase shares as of the opening of the last calendar day of that month (each such date, a “Repurchase Date”). Repurchases will be made at the transaction price in effect on the Repurchase Date, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 95% of the transaction price (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death or qualified disability of the holder. To have your shares repurchased, your repurchase request and required documentation must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the second to last business day of the applicable month. Settlements of share repurchases will be made within three business days of the Repurchase Date. The Early Repurchase Deduction will not apply to shares acquired through our distribution reinvestment plan. An investor may withdraw its repurchase request by notifying the transfer agent before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the last business day of the applicable month. |
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The total amount of aggregate repurchases of Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares is limited to no more than 2% of our aggregate NAV per month and no more than 5% of our aggregate NAV per calendar quarter.
In the event that we determine to repurchase some but not all of the shares submitted for repurchase during any month, shares repurchased at the end of the month will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted after the start of the next month or quarter, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase plan, as applicable.
Our board of directors has designated the following persons as “Key Persons” under our share repurchase plan: Barry Sternlicht, John McCarthy, Chris Graham, Jeff Dishner and any individual that replaces such persons. Our share repurchase plan provides that if two or more such Key Persons are no longer actively involved in the business and activities of our sponsor, or are otherwise unable or unwilling to exercise the authority and discharge those day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to our sponsor as are currently exercised and discharged by such Key Person(s) (such inactivity, inability or unwillingness, “Inactivity”), and our sponsor or Starwood Capital has not appointed one or more replacements who will fulfill substantially all of the duties of one of such Key Persons within 90 days from the date such Inactivity began (meaning, for the sake of clarity, that one Key Person’s responsibilities may remain unfilled for longer than 90 days) (a “Key Person Triggering Event”), then the Early Repurchase Deduction will be waived with respect to shares that have been purchased in the 12 months preceding the expiration of five business days after the public disclosure of the occurrence of such Key Person Triggering Event until the completion of three full calendar months from the time the Key Person Triggering Event is publicly disclosed. The waiver of the Early Repurchase Deduction set forth in this paragraph will not apply to shares acquired through our distribution reinvestment plan.
The vast majority of our assets will consist of properties that cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have sufficient liquid resources to satisfy repurchase requests. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we intend to, subject to any limitations and requirements relating to our intention to qualify as a REIT, generally maintain under normal circumstances an allocation to securities, cash, cash equivalents and other short-term investments, which may be up to 20% of our assets. We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner, an affiliate of Starwood Capital), and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should repurchase requests, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the company as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in real properties or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our shares is in the best interests of the company as a whole, then we may choose to repurchase fewer shares than have been requested to be repurchased, or none at all. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. If the transaction price for the applicable month is not made available by the tenth business day prior to the last business day of the month (or is changed after such date), then no repurchase requests will be accepted for such month and stockholders who wish to have their shares repurchased the following month must resubmit their repurchase requests. See “Share Repurchases—Repurchase Limitations.”
Q: | Will I be notified of how my investment is doing? |
A: | Yes. We will provide you with periodic updates on the performance of your investment with us, including: |
• | three quarterly financial reports and investor statements; |
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• | an annual report; |
• | confirmation statements (after transactions affecting your balance, except reinvestment of distributions in us and certain transactions through minimum account investment or withdrawal programs); and |
• | a quarterly statement providing material information regarding your participation in the distribution reinvestment plan and an annual statement providing tax information with respect to income earned on shares under the distribution reinvestment plan for the calendar year. |
Depending on legal requirements, we may post this information on our website,www.starwoodNAV.reit, or provide this information to you via U.S. mail or other courier, electronic delivery, or some combination of the foregoing. Information about us will also be available on the SEC’s website atwww.sec.gov.
Our monthly NAV per share for each class will be posted on our website promptly after it has become available.
Q: | What fees do you pay to the Advisor and its affiliates? |
A: | We pay the Advisor, the Special Limited Partner, the Dealer Manager and their affiliates the fees and expense reimbursements described below in connection with performing services for us. |
We do not intend to pay the Advisor or its affiliates any separate fees for property acquisitions, dispositions, financings (except interest and other payments to the lender in cases where the lender is an affiliate of the Advisor) or development, although our charter permits us to do so, subject to certain limitations. We do, however, reimburse the Advisor and its affiliates forout-of-pocket and other expenses related to the foregoing activities to the extent such expenses are paid by the Advisor and its affiliates.
Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Organization and Offering Activities | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees— The Dealer Manager | The Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.0%, and dealer manager fees of 0.5%, of the transaction price of each Class T share sold in the primary offering; however, such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold.
The Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class S share sold in the primary offering.
The Dealer Manager anticipates that all or a portion of the upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers. | The actual amount will depend on the number of Class T and Class S shares sold and the transaction price of each Class T and Class S share. Aggregate upfront selling commissions will equal approximately $62.8 million if we sell the maximum amount, and aggregate dealer manager fees will equal approximately $4.8 million if we sell the maximum amount, in each case, in our primary offering, assuming that 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of each of Class T and Class S shares and that the transaction price of each of |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
No upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees will be paid with respect to purchases of Class D shares, Class I shares or shares of any class sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. | our Class T and Class S shares remains constant at $20.00. | |||
Stockholder Servicing Fees—The Dealer Manager | Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as stockholder servicing fees for ongoing services rendered to stockholders by participating broker-dealers or broker-dealers servicing investors’ accounts, referred to as servicing broker-dealers:
• with respect to our outstanding Class T shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class T shares, consisting of an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum, and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class T shares; however, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares;
• with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares; and
• with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class D shares.
We do not pay a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class I shares. | Actual amounts depend upon the per share NAVs of our Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares, the number of Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares purchased and when such shares are purchased. For each of Class T and Class S shares, the stockholder servicing fees will equal approximately $8.2 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount. For Class D shares, the stockholder servicing fees will equal approximately $2.5 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount. In each case, we are assuming that, in our primary offering, 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class T shares, 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class S shares and 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class D shares, that the NAV per share of our Class S shares and Class D shares remains constant at $20.00 and none of our stockholders participate in our distribution reinvestment plan. | ||
The stockholder servicing fees are paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager reallows (pays) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. Because the stockholder servicing fees are calculated based on our NAV for our Class T, Class S and Class D shares, they will reduce the NAV or, alternatively, the distributions payable, with respect to the shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed 8.75% (or, in the case of Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, a lower limit as set forth in any applicable agreement between the Dealer Manager and a participating broker-dealer at the time such Class T shares were issued) of the gross proceeds from the sale of such shares (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such shares.
In addition, we will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee on the Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, in each case in a transaction in which our stockholders receive cash or securities listed on a national securities exchange or (iii) the date on which, in |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including upfront selling commissions, the stockholder servicing fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.
For a description of the services required from the participating broker-dealer or servicing broker-dealer, see the “Plan of Distribution—Underwriting Compensation—Stockholder Servicing Fees—Class T, Class S and Class D Shares.” | ||||
Organization and Offering Expense Reimbursement—The Advisor | The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees and expenses, due diligence expenses of participating broker-dealers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of our escrow agent and transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating broker-dealers and reimbursements for customary travel, lodging, and meals, but excluding upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and the stockholder servicing fee) through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the date on which we broke escrow in this offering. We will reimburse the Advisor for all such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. Wholesaling compensation expenses of persons associated with the Dealer Manager will be paid by the Advisor without reimbursement from us.
We will reimburse the Advisor for any organization and offering expenses that it incurs on our behalf after December 21, 2019 as and when such expenses are incurred. After the termination of this offering, the Advisor has agreed to reimburse us to the extent that the organization and offering expenses that we incur exceed 15% of our gross proceeds from the offering. | We estimate our organization and offering expenses to be approximately $60 million if we sell the maximum offering amount. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Investment Activities | ||||
Acquisition Expense Reimbursement—The Advisor | We do not intend to pay the Advisor any acquisition, financing (except interest payments and market-based financing fees and costs to the lender in cases where the lender is an affiliate of the Advisor) or other similar fees in connection with making investments. We will, however, reimburse the Advisor forout-of-pocket expenses in connection with the selection, evaluation, structuring, acquisition, origination, financing and development of properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities, whether or not such investments are acquired, and make payments to third parties or certain of the Advisor’s affiliates in connection with making investments as described in “—Fees from Other Services” below. | Actual amounts are dependent upon actual expenses incurred and, therefore, cannot be determined at this time. | ||
Operational Activities | ||||
Management Fee—The Advisor | We will pay the Advisor a management fee equal to 1.25% of NAV per annum payable monthly. The Advisor agreed to waive the management fee for the first three months following December 21, 2018, the date we broke escrow for this offering.
The management fee may be paid, at the Advisor’s election, in cash, Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership. If the Advisor elects to receive any portion of its management fee in Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership, we may repurchase such Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership from the Advisor at a later date, at a price per Class I share or Class I unit, as applicable, equal to the NAV per Class I share as of the date of repurchase. Shares of our Class I common stock and Class I units of our Operating Partnership obtained by the Advisor will not be subject to the repurchase limits of our share repurchase plan or any Early Repurchase Deduction. The Operating Partnership will repurchase any such Operating Partnership units for cash unless our board of directors determines that any such repurchase for cash would be prohibited by applicable law or our charter, in which case such Operating | Actual amounts of the management fee depend upon our aggregate NAV. The management fee will equal approximately $49 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount in our primary offering, assuming that the NAV per share of each class of our common stock remains constant at $20.00 and before giving effect to any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Partnership units will be repurchased for shares of our common stock with an equivalent aggregate NAV. The Advisor and the Special Limited Partner will have the option of exchanging Class I shares for an equivalent aggregate NAV amount of Class T, Class S or Class D shares and will have registration rights with respect to shares of our common stock. | ||||
Operating Expense Reimbursement—The Advisor | In addition to the organization and offering expense and acquisition expense reimbursements described above, we will reimburse the Advisor forout-of-pocket costs and expenses it incurs in connection with the services it provides to us, including, but not limited to, (1) the actual cost of goods and services used by us and obtained from third parties, including fees paid to administrators, consultants, attorneys, technology providers and other service providers, and brokerage fees paid in connection with the purchase and sale of investments and securities, (2) expenses of managing and operating our properties, whether payable to an affiliate or anon-affiliated person and (3) expenses related to personnel of the Advisor performing services for us other than those who provide investment advisory services or serve as our executive officers. The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our operating expenses incurred from July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018. We will reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. Operating expenses incurred after December 31, 2018 are paid by us as incurred. See “Management—The Advisory Agreement—Management Fee, Performance Participation Interest and Expense Reimbursements.” | Actual amounts ofout-of-pocket expenses paid by the Advisor that we reimburse are dependent upon actual expenses incurred and, therefore, cannot be determined at this time. | ||
Performance Participation Interest— The Special Limited Partner | So long as the Advisory Agreement has not been terminated, the Special Limited Partner will hold a performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership that entitles it to receive cash distributions (or Operating Partnership units at its election) from our Operating Partnership equal to 12.5% of the Total Return, subject to a 5% Hurdle Amount and a High Water Mark, with aCatch-Up (each term as | Actual amounts of the performance participation depend upon the Operating Partnership’s actual annual total return and, therefore, cannot be calculated at this time. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
defined herein). Such distributions will be paid annually.
For a detailed explanation of how the performance participation is calculated, see “Summary of Our Operating Partnership Agreement—Special Limited Partner Interest.” For a hypothetical calculation of the performance participation calculation, see “Compensation—Performance Participation Interest Example.” | ||||
Fees from Other Services—Affiliates of the Advisor | We retain certain of the Advisor’s affiliates, from time to time, for services relating to our investments or our operations, which may include property management services, leasing services, corporate services, statutory services, transaction support services (including but not limited to coordinating with brokers, lawyers, accountants and other advisors, assembling relevant information, conducting financial and market analyses, and coordinating closing procedures), construction and development management, and loan management and servicing, and within one or more such categories, providing services in respect of asset or investment administration, accounting, technology, tax preparation, finance (including but not limited to budget preparation and preparation and maintenance of corporate models), treasury, operational coordination, risk management, insurance placement, human resources, legal and compliance, valuation and reporting-related services, as well as services related to mortgage servicing, group purchasing, healthcare, consulting/brokerage, capital markets/credit origination, property, title or other types of insurance, management consulting and other similar operational matters. Any fees paid to the Advisor’s affiliates for any such services will not reduce the management fee. Any such arrangements will be at market rates. | Actual amounts depend on to what extent affiliates of the Advisor are actually engaged to perform such services. |
In calculating our management fee, we use our NAV before giving effect to accruals for the management fee, performance participation distributions, stockholder servicing fees or distributions payable on our shares. In calculating our stockholder servicing fee, we will use our NAV before giving effect to accruals for the stockholder servicing fee or distributions payable on our shares.
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Commencing four fiscal quarters after we make our first investment, our Total Operating Expenses, including any distributions made to the Special Limited Partner with respect to its performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership, will be limited during any four fiscal quarters to the greater of (a) 2.0% of our Average Invested Assets and (b) 25.0% of our Net Income. This limit may be exceeded only if our independent directors have made a finding that, based on such unusual andnon-recurring factors as they deem sufficient, a higher level of expenses is justified, and such finding is recorded in the minutes of a meeting of the independent directors. For purposes of these limits:
• | “Total Operating Expenses” are all costs and expenses paid or incurred by us, as determined under generally accepted accounting principles, including the management fee and the performance participation, but excluding: (i) the expenses of raising capital such as organization and offering expenses, legal, audit, accounting, underwriting, brokerage, listing, registration and other fees, printing and other such expenses and taxes incurred in connection with the issuance, distribution, transfer, registration and listing of our capital stock, (ii) property-level expenses incurred at each property, (iii) interest payments, (iv) taxes,(v) non-cash expenditures such as depreciation, amortization and bad debt reserves, (vi) incentive fees paid in compliance with our charter, (vii) acquisition fees and acquisition expenses related to the selection and acquisition of assets, whether or not a property is actually acquired, (viii) real estate commissions on the sale of property and (ix) other fees and expenses connected with the acquisition, disposition, management and ownership of real estate interests, mortgage loans or other property (including the costs of foreclosure, insurance premiums, legal services, maintenance, repair and improvement of property). |
• | “Average Invested Assets” means, for any period, the average of the aggregate book value of our assets, invested, directly or indirectly, in equity interests in and loans secured by real estate, including all properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities and consolidated and unconsolidated joint ventures or other partnerships, before deducting depreciation, amortization, impairments, bad debt reserves or othernon-cash reserves, computed by taking the average of such values at the end of each month during such period. |
• | “Net Income” means, for any period, total revenues applicable to such period, less the total expenses applicable to such period other than additions to, or allowances for,non-cash charges such as depreciation, amortization, impairments and reserves for bad debt or other similarnon-cash reserves. |
See “Management—The Advisory Agreement—Management Fee, Performance Participation Interest and Expense Reimbursements.”
Q: | What are your policies related to conflicts of interests with Starwood Capital and its affiliates? |
A: | Businesses or Services Provided by the Advisor to Others. The Advisory Agreement provides that it does not (i) prevent the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees from engaging in other businesses or from rendering services of any kind to any other persons or entities, whether or not the investment objectives or guidelines of any such other persons or entities are similar to those of ours, including, without limitation, the sponsoring, closing or managing of any Other Starwood Accounts, (ii) in any way bind or restrict the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees from buying, selling or trading any securities or commodities for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees may be acting or (iii) prevent the Advisor or any of its affiliates from receiving fees or other compensation or profits from activities described in clauses (i) or (ii) above which shall be for the Advisor’s (or its affiliates’) sole benefit. In particular, there will be overlap of real property, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts, as described herein. |
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Allocation of Future Investment Opportunities. The Advisory Agreement provides that it does not (i) prevent the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees from engaging in other businesses or from rendering services of any kind to any other persons or entities, whether or not the investment objectives or guidelines of any such other persons or entities are similar to those of ours, including, without limitation, the sponsoring, closing or managing of any Other Starwood Accounts, (ii) in any way bind or restrict the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees from buying, selling or trading any securities or commodities for their own accounts or for the account of others for whom the Advisor or any of its affiliates, officers, directors or employees may be acting or (iii) prevent the Advisor or any of its affiliates from receiving fees or other compensation or profits from activities described in clauses (i) or (ii) above which shall be for the Advisor’s (or its affiliates’) sole benefit. In particular, there will be overlap of real property, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts, as described herein.
With respect to Other Starwood Accounts with investment objectives or guidelines that overlap with ours but that do not have priority over us, investment opportunities will be allocated among us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts in accordance with Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures on a basis that the Advisor and its affiliates believe to be fair and reasonable in their sole discretion, which will either be rotational or on a co-invest basis subject to the following considerations: (i) any applicable investment objectives of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts (which, for us, includes our primary objective of providing current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield); (ii) the sourcing of the transaction; (iii) the size and nature of the investment; (iv) the relative amounts of capital available for investment by us and such Other Starwood Accounts; (v) the sector, geography/location, expected return profile, expected distribution rates, anticipated cash flows, expected stability or volatility of cash flows, leverage profile, risk profile, and other features of the applicable investment opportunity and its impact on portfolio concentration and diversification; (vi) avoiding allocation that could result in de minimis or odd-lot investments; (vii) any structural and operational differences between us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any applicable investment limitations (including, without limitation, exposure limits, hedging limits and diversification considerations) of us and such Other Starwood Accounts, investment limitations, parameters or contractual provisions of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts; (viii) the eligibility of us and such Other Starwood Accounts to make such investment under applicable laws; (ix) any other applicable tax, accounting, legal, regulatory compliance or operational considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor and its affiliates (including, without limitation, maintaining our qualification as a REIT and our status as a non-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act) (e.g., joint venture investments between us and an Other Starwood Account must be on the same terms and satisfy the restrictions of all participants, such as lowest leverage targeted by any participant); and (x) any other requirements contained in the corporate governance documents of us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates in good faith. Our board of directors (including our independent directors) has the duty to ensure that the allocation methodology described above is applied fairly to us.
We believe our investment objectives, guidelines and strategy are generally distinct from Other Starwood Accounts. Accordingly, we expect there will be sufficient investment opportunities for us within our investment guidelines because of the scale of the real estate market. Other than (i) the priority granted to Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, (ii) the priority granted to Starwood Property Trust with respect to real estate-related debt and debt-like equity investments and (iii) the priority granted to SEREF with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate, no Other Starwood Accounts have priority over us with respect to investment opportunities. However, Starwood Capital may in the future grant priority to additional Other Starwood Accounts. See “Conflicts of Interest.”
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Transactions with any Starwood Account or Affiliate. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, and subject to applicable law, the Advisor is not permitted to consummate on our behalf any transaction that involves (i) the sale of any investment to or (ii) the acquisition of any investment from Starwood Capital, any Starwood Account or any of their affiliates unless such transaction is approved by a majority of our directors, including a majority of independent directors, not otherwise interested in such transaction as being fair and reasonable to us. In addition, for any such acquisition by us, our purchase price will be limited to the greater of (i) the cost of the property to the affiliate, including acquisition-related expenses, and (ii) the current appraised value of the property as determined by an independent expert. In addition, we may enter into joint ventures with Other Starwood Accounts, or with Starwood Capital, the Advisor, any member of Starwood Capital, one or more of our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, only if a majority of our directors (including a majority of our independent directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction approve the transaction as being fair and reasonable to us and on substantially the same, or more favorable, terms and conditions as those received by other affiliate joint venture partners. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, it is agreed that the Advisor will seek to resolve any conflicts of interest in a fair and reasonable manner (subject to any priorities of the Other Starwood Accounts) in accordance with its prevailing policies and procedures with respect to conflicts resolution among Other Starwood Accounts generally, but only those transactions set forth in this paragraph will be expressly required to be presented for approval to the independent directors of our board of directors or any committee thereof (unless otherwise required by our charter or our investment guidelines).
Corporate Opportunities. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution that provides, subject to certain exceptions, that none of Starwood Capital or its affiliates, our directors or any person our directors control will be required to refrain directly or indirectly from engaging in any business opportunities, including any business opportunities in the same or similar business activities or lines of business in which we or any of our affiliates may from time to time be engaged or propose to engage, or from competing with us, and that we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any such business opportunities, unless offered to a person in his or her capacity as one of our directors or officers and intended exclusively for us or any of our subsidiaries.
Q: | Are there any limitations on the level of ownership of shares? |
A: | Our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares any one person or group may own. Specifically, our charter will not permit any person or group to own more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding common stock or of our outstanding capital stock of all classes or series, and attempts to acquire our common stock or our capital stock of all other classes or series in excess of these 9.8% limits would not be effective without an exemption from these limits (prospectively or retroactively) by our board of directors. These limits may be further reduced if our board of directors waives these limits for certain holders. See “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” These restrictions are designed to enable us to comply with ownership restrictions imposed on REITs by the Code, and may have the effect of preventing a third party from engaging in a business combination or other transaction even if doing so would result in you receiving a “premium” for your shares. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to This Offering and Our Organizational Structure” for additional discussion regarding restrictions on share ownership. |
Q: | Are there any ERISA considerations in connection with an investment in our shares? |
A: | The section of this prospectus captioned “Certain ERISA Considerations” describes the effect that the purchase of shares will have on individual retirement accounts and retirement plans that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and the Code. ERISA is a federal law that regulates certain employer-sponsored benefit plans. The Code contains similar provisions applicable to IRAs and certain other benefit plans. Any benefit plan investor considering purchasing shares |
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for a retirement plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”), should consider, at a minimum: (1) whether the investment is in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the IRA, plan or other account; (2) whether the investment satisfies the fiduciary requirements associated with the IRA, plan or other account; (3) whether the investment will generate unrelated business taxable income to the IRA, plan or other account; (4) whether there is sufficient liquidity for that investment under the IRA, plan or other account; (5) the need to value the assets of the IRA, plan or other account annually or more frequently; and (6) whether the investment would constitute anon-exempt prohibited transaction under applicable law. See “Risk Factors—Retirement Plan Risks” and “Certain ERISA Considerations.” |
Q: | Are there any Investment Company Act of 1940 considerations? |
A: | We intend to engage primarily in the business of investing in real estate and to conduct our operations, directly and through wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries, so that neither we, the Operating Partnership nor any of the subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership is required, as such requirements have been interpreted by the SEC, to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. A company is an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act: |
• | under Section 3(a)(1)(A), if it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities; or |
• | under Section 3(a)(1)(C), if it is engaged, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns, or proposes to acquire, “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis, which we refer to as the “40% test.” The term “investment securities” generally includes all securities except U.S. government securities and securities of majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exemption from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. |
We intend to acquire real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities directly, primarily by acquiring fee interests in real property and by originating and acquiring real estate-related debt. We may also make investments indirectly through joint venture entities, including joint venture entities in which we do not own a controlling interest and joint venture entities in which Other Starwood Accounts may invest. We plan to conduct our businesses primarily through the Operating Partnership, a majority-owned subsidiary, and expect to establish other direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiaries to hold particular assets.
We intend to conduct our operations so that we, the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of the wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will comply with the 40% test. We continuously monitor our holdings on an ongoing basis to determine compliance with this test. We expect that the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of the wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will not be relying on exemptions under either Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. Consequently, interests in the Operating Partnership and in these subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership (which are expected to constitute a substantial majority of our assets) generally will not constitute “investment securities.” Accordingly, we believe that we, the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of the wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will not be considered investment companies under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act.
In addition, we believe that neither we, the Operating Partnership nor any of the wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because they do not engage primarily or hold themselves
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out as being engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, we, the Operating Partnership and the subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership are primarily engaged innon-investment company businesses related to real estate. Consequently, we expect to be able to conduct our and the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries’ respective operations such that none of them will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We determine whether an entity is a majority-owned subsidiary of our company. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat entities in which we own at least 50% of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We have not requested that the SEC or its staff approve our treatment of any entity as a majority-owned subsidiary, and neither has done so. If the SEC or its staff was to disagree with our treatment of one or more subsidiary entities as majority-owned subsidiaries, we would need to adjust our strategy and our assets in order to continue to pass the 40% test. Any adjustment in our strategy could have a material adverse effect on us.
If we, the Operating Partnership or any of the wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership would ever inadvertently fall within one of the definitions of “investment company,” we intend to rely on the exemption provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, which is available for entities “primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate.” The SEC staff has taken the position that this exemption generally requires that at least 55% of an entity’s assets be comprised of mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate, also known as “qualifying assets,” and at least another 25% of the entity’s assets must be comprised of additional qualifying assets or a broader category of assets that we refer to as “real estate-related assets” under the Investment Company Act (and no more than 20% of the entity’s assets may be comprised of miscellaneous assets).
We classify our assets for purposes of our 3(c)(5)(C) exemption based uponno-action positions taken by the SEC staff and interpretive guidance provided by the SEC and its staff. Theseno-action positions are based on specific factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we may face, and a number of theseno-action positions were issued more than 20 years ago. No assurance can be given that the SEC or its staff will concur with our classification of our assets. In addition, the SEC or its staff may, in the future, issue further guidance that may require us tore-classify our assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If we are required tore-classify our assets, we may no longer be in compliance with the exemption from the definition of an investment company provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act.
For purposes of determining whether we satisfy the 55%/25% test, based on certainno-action letters issued by the SEC staff, we intend to classify our fee interests in real property, held by us directly or through our wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, as qualifying assets. In addition, based onno-action letters issued by the SEC staff, we will treat our investments in any joint ventures that in turn invest in qualifying assets such as real property as qualifying assets, but only if we are active in the management and operation of the joint venture and have the right to approve major decisions by the joint venture; otherwise, they will be classified as real estate-related assets. We will not participate in joint ventures in which we do not have or share control to the extent that we believe such participation would potentially threaten our status as anon-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act. This may prevent us from receiving an allocation with respect to certain investment opportunities that are suitable for both us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts. We expect that no less than 55% of our assets will consist of investments in real
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property, including any joint ventures that we control or in which we share control. We will treat any investments in real estate-related securities, as described on pages 2 and 4 of this prospectus, as real estate-related assets, for purposes of determining whether we satisfy the 55%/25% test.
Qualifying for an exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act will limit our ability to make certain investments. For example, these restrictions may limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to invest directly in mortgage-backed securities that represent less than the entire ownership in a pool of mortgage loans, debt and equity tranches of securitizations and certain asset-backed securities,non-controlling equity interests in real estate companies or in assets not related to real estate.
Although we intend to monitor our portfolio, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this exemption from registration.
Our board of directors has made a finding pursuant to Rule3a-2 under the Investment Company Act related to our ability to operate as a transient investment company for a period not to exceed one year from December 21, 2018.
A change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To maintain compliance with the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exemption, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to acquire assets that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.
To the extent that the SEC or its staff provides more specific guidance regarding any of the matters bearing upon the definition of investment company and the exemptions to that definition, we may be required to adjust our strategy accordingly. On August 31, 2011, the SEC issued a concept release and request for comments regarding the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exemption (Release No.IC-29778) in which it contemplated the possibility of issuing new rules or providing new interpretations of the exemption that might, among other things, define the phrase “liens on and other interests in real estate” or consider sources of income in determining a company’s “primary business.” Any additional guidance from the SEC or its staff could provide additional flexibility to us, or it could further inhibit our ability to pursue the strategies we have chosen.
If we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan. For additional discussion of the risks that we would face if we were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to This Offering and Our Organizational Structure—Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.”
Q: | What is the impact of being an “emerging growth company”? |
A: | We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the “JOBS Act.” As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not |
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emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to: |
• | have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; |
• | submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring anon-binding stockholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring anon-binding stockholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or |
• | disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies. We have elected to opt out of this transition period, and will therefore comply with new or revised accounting standards on the applicable dates on which the adoption of these standards is required fornon-emerging growth companies. This election is irrevocable.
We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion innon-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule12b-2 under the Exchange Act.
We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. As stated above, we have elected to opt out of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer underSection 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and will not be for so long as our shares of common stock are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Advisor and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Advisor or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the Advisor, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek stockholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.
Q: | When will I get my detailed tax information? |
A: | In the case of certain U.S. stockholders, we expect your IRS Form1099-DIV tax information, if required, to be mailed by January 31 of each year. |
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Q: | Who can help answer my questions? |
A: | If you have more questions about this offering or if you would like additional copies of this prospectus, you should contact your financial adviser or our transfer agent: |
DST Systems, Inc.
PO Box 219426
Kansas City, MO 64121-9349
Overnight Address:
DST Systems, Inc.
430 W 7th St. Suite 219349
Kansas City, MO 64105
Toll Free Number:833-433-4344
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An investment in shares of our common stock involves risks. You should specifically consider the following material risks in addition to the other information contained in this prospectus before you decide to purchase shares of our common stock. The occurrence of any of the following risks might cause you to lose a significant part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties discussed below are not the only ones we face, but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are most significant to our business, operating results, financial condition, prospects and forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to This Offering and Our Organizational Structure
We have a limited operating history and there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully achieve our investment objectives.
We have a limited operating history and may not be able to achieve our investment objectives. As of the date of this prospectus, we have made a limited number of investments. We cannot assure you that the past experiences of affiliates of the Advisor will be sufficient to allow us to successfully achieve our investment objectives. As a result, an investment in our shares of common stock may entail more risk than the shares of common stock of a REIT with a substantial operating history.
This is a blind pool offering, and thus you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our future investments before we make them, which makes your investment more speculative.
We have not yet identified all of the investments that we may make and thus are not able to provide you with information to assist you in evaluating the merits of any future investments that we may acquire, except for investments that may be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We will seek to invest substantially all of the net offering proceeds from this offering, after the payment of fees and expenses, in the acquisition of or investment in interests in properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities. However, because you will be unable to evaluate the economic merit of our future investments before we make them, you will have to rely on the ability of the Advisor to select suitable and successful investment opportunities. Furthermore, the Advisor will have broad discretion in selecting the types of properties we will invest in and the tenants of those properties, and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate potential investments. These factors increase the risk that your investment may not generate returns comparable to other real estate investment alternatives.
We are dependent on Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and their key personnel who provide services to us through the advisory agreement, and we may not find a suitable replacement for the Advisor if the advisory agreement is terminated, or for these key personnel if they leave Starwood Capital or otherwise become unavailable to us.
We have no separate facilities and are completely reliant on the Advisor. Our officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary are executive officers of Starwood Capital. The Advisor has significant discretion as to the implementation of our investment and operating policies and strategies. Accordingly, we believe that our success will depend to a significant extent upon the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the officers and key personnel of the Advisor. The officers and key personnel of the Advisor will evaluate, negotiate, close and monitor our investments; therefore, our success will depend on their continued service. The departure of any of the officers or key personnel of the Advisor could have a material adverse effect on our performance.
The Advisor is not obligated to dedicate any specific personnel exclusively to us. In addition, none of our officers or the officers of the Advisor are obligated to dedicate any specific portion of their time to our business. Each of
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them has significant responsibilities for the Other Starwood Accounts. As a result, these individuals may not always be able to devote sufficient time to the management of our business. Further, when there are turbulent conditions in the real estate markets or distress in the credit markets, the attention of the Advisor’s personnel and our executive officers and the resources of Starwood Capital will also be required by the Other Starwood Accounts. In such situations, we may not receive the level of support and assistance that we may receive if we were internally managed.
In addition, we offer no assurance that Starwood REIT Advisors, L.L.C. will remain the Advisor or that we will continue to have access to Starwood Capital’s officers and key personnel. In particular, the loss of Mr. Sternlicht’s services could adversely affect our performance. On November 7, 2018, we renewed the term of the advisory agreement among the Advisor, our Operating Partnership and us for an additional one-year period ended December 14, 2019 and the advisory agreement is expected to be renewed annually thereafter for additionalone-year terms. If the advisory agreement is terminated and no suitable replacement is found, we may not be able to execute our business plan.
Finally, there is no guarantee (i) that the Advisor will succeed in implementing our investment objectives or strategy or in identifying investments that are in accordance with Starwood Capital’s investment philosophy or (ii) that historical trends of prior programs sponsored by Starwood Capital will continue during the life of our operations.
The Advisor manages our portfolio pursuant to very broad investment guidelines and generally is not required to seek the approval of our board of directors for each investment, financing or asset allocation decision made by it, which may result in our making riskier investments and which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our board of directors approved very broad investment guidelines that delegate to the Advisor the authority to execute acquisitions and dispositions of real estate properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities on our behalf, in each case so long as such investments are consistent with the investment guidelines and our charter. There can be no assurance that the Advisor will be successful in applying any strategy or discretionary approach to our investment activities. Our board of directors will review our investment guidelines on an annual basis (or more often as it deems appropriate) and our investment portfolio periodically. The prior approval of our board of directors or a committee of independent directors will be required only as set forth in our charter (including for transactions with affiliates of the Advisor) or for the acquisition or disposition of assets that are not in accordance with our investment guidelines. In addition, in conducting periodic reviews, our directors will rely primarily on information provided to them by the Advisor. Furthermore, transactions entered into on our behalf by the Advisor may be costly, difficult or impossible to unwind when they are subsequently reviewed by our board of directors.
There is no public trading market for shares of our common stock; therefore, your ability to dispose of your shares will likely be limited to repurchase by us. If you do sell your shares to us, you may receive less than the price you paid.
There is no current public trading market for shares of our common stock, and we do not expect that such a market will ever develop. Therefore, repurchase of shares by us will likely be the only way for you to dispose of your shares. We will repurchase shares at a price equal to the transaction price of the class of shares being repurchased on the date of repurchase (which will generally be equal to our prior month’s NAV per share), and not based on the price at which you initially purchased your shares. Subject to limited exceptions, shares repurchased within one year of the date of issuance will be repurchased at 95% of the transaction price. As a result, you may receive less than the price you paid for your shares when you sell them to us pursuant to our share repurchase plan. See “Share Repurchases—Early Repurchase Deduction.”
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Your ability to have your shares repurchased through our share repurchase plan is limited. We may choose to repurchase fewer shares than have been requested to be repurchased in our discretion at any time, and the amount of shares we may repurchase is subject to caps. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders.
We may choose to repurchase fewer shares than have been requested in any particular month to be repurchased under our share repurchase plan, or none at all, in our discretion at any time. We may repurchase fewer shares than have been requested to be repurchased due to lack of readily available funds because of adverse market conditions beyond our control, the need to maintain liquidity for our operations or because we have determined that investing in real property or other illiquid investments is a better use of our capital than repurchasing our shares. In addition, the total amount of shares that we will repurchase is limited, in any calendar month, to shares whose aggregate value (based on the repurchase price per share on the date of the repurchase) is no more than 2% of our aggregate NAV as of the last day of the previous calendar month and, in any calendar quarter, to shares whose aggregate value is no more than 5% of our aggregate NAV as of the last day of the previous calendar quarter. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. If the full amount of all shares of our common stock requested to be repurchased in any given month are not repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of shares of common stock being repurchased without regard to class and subject to the volume limitation. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted after the start of the next month or quarter, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase plan, as applicable.
The vast majority of our assets will consist of properties which cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have a sufficient amount of cash to immediately satisfy repurchase requests. Should repurchase requests, in the business judgment of our board of directors, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our investment operations or pose a risk of having a material adverse impact onnon-repurchasing stockholders, then our board of directors may modify or suspend our repurchase plan. Because our board of directors is not required to authorize the recommencement of the share repurchase plan within any specified period of time, our board may effectively terminate the plan by suspending it indefinitely. As a result, your ability to have your shares repurchased by us may be limited and at times you may not be able to liquidate your investment. See “Share Repurchases—Repurchase Limitations.”
Economic events that may cause our stockholders to request that we repurchase their shares may materially adversely affect our cash flow and our results of operations and financial condition.
Economic events affecting the U.S. economy, such as the general negative performance of the real estate sector, could cause our stockholders to seek to sell their shares to us pursuant to our share repurchase plan at a time when such events are adversely affecting the performance of our assets. Even if we decide to satisfy all resulting repurchase requests, our cash flow could be materially adversely affected. In addition, if we determine to sell assets to satisfy repurchase requests, we may not be able to realize the return on such assets that we may have been able to achieve had we sold at a more favorable time, and our results of operations and financial condition, including, without limitation, breadth of our portfolio by property type and location, could be materially adversely affected.
The amount and source of distributions we may make to our stockholders is uncertain, and we may be unable to generate sufficient cash flows from our operations to make distributions to our stockholders at any time in the future.
We have not established a minimum distribution payment level, and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including the risk factors described in this prospectus. Our investments may not generate sufficient income to make distributions to our stockholders. Our
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board of directors will make determinations regarding distributions based upon, among other factors, our financial performance, debt service obligations, debt covenants, REIT qualification and tax requirements and capital expenditure requirements. Among the factors that could impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders are:
• | the limited size of our portfolio in the early stages of our development; |
• | our inability to invest the proceeds from sales of our shares on a timely basis in income-producing properties; |
• | our inability to realize attractive risk-adjusted returns on our investments; |
• | high levels of expenses or reduced revenues that reduce our cash flow ornon-cash earnings; and |
• | defaults in our investment portfolio or decreases in the value of our investments. |
As a result, we may not be able to make distributions to our stockholders at any time in the future, and the level of any distributions we do make to our stockholders may not increase or even be maintained over time, any of which could materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.
We may pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources.
We may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to fully fund distributions to stockholders, particularly during the early stages of our operations. Therefore, particularly in the earlier part of our operations, we may fund distributions to our stockholders from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales from our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner, an affiliate of Starwood Capital). The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, the extent to which the Advisor elects to receive its management fee in Class I shares or Class I units and the Special Limited Partner elects to receive distributions on its performance participation interest in Class I units, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments, including our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities portfolios. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire properties or other real estate-related investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We may be required to continue to fund our regular distributions from a combination of some of these sources if our investments fail to perform, if expenses are greater than our revenues or due to numerous other factors. We have not established a limit on the amount of our distributions that may be paid from any of these sources.
To the extent we borrow funds to pay distributions, we would incur borrowing costs and these borrowings would require a future repayment. The use of these sources for distributions and the ultimate repayment of any liabilities incurred could adversely impact our ability to pay distributions in future periods, decrease our NAV, decrease the amount of cash we have available for operations and new investments and adversely impact the value of your investment.
We may also defer operating expenses or pay expenses (including the fees of the Advisor or distributions to the Special Limited Partner) with shares of our common stock or Operating Partnership units in order to preserve
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cash flow for the payment of distributions. The ultimate repayment of these deferred expenses could adversely affect our operations and reduce the future return on your investment. The payment of expenses in shares of our common stock or with Operating Partnership units will dilute your ownership interest in our portfolio of assets. There is no guarantee any of our operating expenses will be deferred and the Advisor and Special Limited Partner are under no obligation to receive fees or distributions in shares of our common stock or Operating Partnership units and may elect to receive such amounts in cash.
Payments to the Advisor or the Special Limited Partner in respect of any common stock or Operating Partnership units they elect to receive in lieu of fees or distributions will dilute future cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
The Advisor or the Special Limited Partner may choose to receive our common shares or Operating Partnership units in lieu of certain fees or distributions. The holders of all Operating Partnership units will be entitled to receive cash from operations pro rata with the distributions being paid to us and such distributions to the holder of the Operating Partnership units will reduce the cash available for distribution to us and to our stockholders. Furthermore, under certain circumstances the Operating Partnership units held by the Advisor or the Special Limited Partner are required to be repurchased, in cash at the holder’s election, and there may not be sufficient cash to make such a repurchase payment; therefore, we may need to use cash from operations, borrowings, offering proceeds or other sources to make the payment, which will reduce cash available for distribution to you or for investment in our operations. Repurchases of our shares or Operating Partnership units from the Advisor paid to the Advisor as a management fee are not subject to the monthly and quarterly volume limitations or the Early Purchase Deduction, and such sales receive priority over other shares for which repurchase is requested during such period. Repurchases of our shares or Operating Partnership units from the Special Limited Partner distributed to the Special Limited Partner with respect to its performance participation interest are not subject to the Early Purchase Deduction, but, in the case of shares, such repurchases are subject to the monthly and quarterly volume limitations and do not receive priority over other shares for which repurchase is requested during such period.
Purchases and repurchases of our common shares are not made based on the current NAV per share of our common stock as of the date of purchase or repurchase.
Generally, our offering price per share and the price at which we make repurchases of our shares will equal the NAV per share of the applicable class as of the last calendar day of the prior month, plus, in the case of our offering price, applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. The NAV per share as of the date on which you make your subscription request or repurchase request may be significantly different than the offering price you pay or the repurchase price you receive. In addition, we may sell and repurchase shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share, including by updating a previously disclosed offering price, in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. As a result, the offering price and repurchase price will not equal our NAV per share as of the date of purchase or repurchase.
Valuations and appraisals of our assets are estimates of fair value and may not necessarily correspond to realizable value.
For the purposes of calculating our monthly NAV, our properties will generally initially be valued at cost, which we expect to represent fair value at that time. Thereafter, valuations of properties will be determined based in part on annual appraisals of each of our properties by independent third-party appraisal firms at least once per year in accordance with valuation guidelines approved by our board of directors. Our independent valuation advisor will prepare quarterly appraisals of approximately three-quarters of our real estate portfolio and review third-party appraisals for the remaining quarter. For each month that is not aquarter-end, the Advisor will also conduct a monthly valuation of our properties that will be reviewed by our independent valuation advisor and the independent valuation advisor will review and provide a confirmation of the reasonableness of the monthly
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valuation. Likewise, our investments in real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities will initially be valued at cost, and thereafter will be valued monthly at fair market value. See “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines.” Although monthly valuations of each of our real properties will be reviewed and a confirmation of the reasonableness of the monthly valuation will be provided by our independent valuation advisor, such valuations are based on asset and portfolio-level information provided by the Advisor, including historical operating revenues and expenses of the properties, lease agreements on the properties, revenues and expenses of the properties, information regarding recent or planned capital expenditures and any other information relevant to valuing the real estate property, which information will not be independently verified by our independent valuation advisor. In addition, our investments in real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities, while a component of NAV, will be valued by the Advisor, based on market quotations or at fair value, and will not be reviewed by our independent valuation advisor or appraised.
Within the parameters of our valuation guidelines, the valuation methodologies used to value our properties will involve subjective judgments and projections and may not be accurate. Valuation methodologies will also involve assumptions and opinions about future events, which may or may not turn out to be correct. Valuations and appraisals of our assets will be only estimates of fair value. Ultimate realization of the value of an asset depends to a great extent on economic, market and other conditions beyond our control and the control of the Advisor and our independent valuation advisor. Further, valuations do not necessarily represent the price at which an asset would sell, since market prices of assets can only be determined by negotiation between a willing buyer and seller. As such, the carrying value of an asset may not reflect the price at which the asset could be sold in the market, and the difference between carrying value and the ultimate sales price could be material. In addition, accurate valuations are more difficult to obtain in times of low transaction volume because there are fewer market transactions that can be considered in the context of the appraisal. There will be no retroactive adjustment in the valuation of such assets, the offering price of our shares of common stock, the price we paid to repurchase shares of our common stock orNAV-based fees we paid to the Advisor and the Dealer Manager to the extent such valuations prove to not accurately reflect the realizable value of our assets. Because the price you will pay for shares of our common stock in this offering, and the price at which your shares may be repurchased by us pursuant to our share repurchase plan are generally based on our prior month’s NAV per share, you may pay more than realizable value or receive less than realizable value for your investment.
Our NAV per share amounts may change materially if the appraised values of our properties materially change from prior appraisals or the actual operating results for a particular month differ from what we originally budgeted for that month.
We anticipate that the annual appraisals of our properties will be conducted on a rolling basis, such that properties may be appraised at different times but each property would be appraised at least once per year. When these appraisals are reflected in our NAV calculations, there may be a material change in our NAV per share amounts for each class of our common stock from those previously reported. In addition, actual operating results for a given month may differ from what we originally budgeted for that month, which may cause a material increase or decrease in the NAV per share amounts. We will not retroactively adjust the NAV per share of each class reported for the previous month. Therefore, because a new annual appraisal may differ materially from the prior appraisal or the actual results from operations may be better or worse than what we previously budgeted for a particular month, the adjustment to reflect the new appraisal or actual operating results may cause the NAV per share for each class of our common stock to increase or decrease, and such increase or decrease will occur on the day the adjustment is made.
It may be difficult to reflect, fully and accurately, material events that may impact our monthly NAV.
The Advisor’s determination of our monthly NAV per share will be based in part on appraisals of each of our properties provided at least annually by independent third-party appraisal firms in individual appraisal reports reviewed by our independent valuation advisor in accordance with valuation guidelines approved by our board of directors. As a result, our published NAV per share in any given month may not fully reflect any or all changes in
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value that may have occurred since the most recent appraisal. The Advisor will review appraisal reports and monitor our assets, and is responsible for notifying the independent valuation advisor of the occurrence of any asset-specific or market-driven event it believes may cause a material valuation change in the real estate valuation, but it may be difficult to reflect fully and accurately rapidly changing market conditions or material events that may impact the value of our assets or liabilities between valuations, or to obtain quickly complete information regarding any such events. For example, an unexpected termination or renewal of a material lease, a material increase or decrease in vacancies or an unanticipated structural or environmental event at a property may cause the value of a property to change materially, yet obtaining sufficient relevant information after the occurrence has come to light or analyzing fully the financial impact of such an event may be difficult to do and may require some time. As a result, the NAV per share may not reflect a material event until such time as sufficient information is available and analyzed, and the financial impact is fully evaluated, such that our NAV may be appropriately adjusted in accordance with our valuation guidelines. Depending on the circumstance, the resulting potential disparity in our NAV may be in favor of either stockholders who repurchase their shares, or stockholders who buy new shares, or existing stockholders.
NAV calculations are not governed by governmental or independent securities, financial or accounting rules or standards.
The method for calculating our NAV, including the components used in calculating our NAV, is not prescribed by rules of the SEC or any other regulatory agency. Further, there are no accounting rules or standards that prescribe which components should be used in calculating NAV, and our NAV is not audited by our independent registered public accounting firm. We calculate and publish NAV solely for purposes of establishing the price at which we sell and repurchase shares of our common stock, and you should not view our NAV as a measure of our historical or future financial condition or performance. The components and methodology used in calculating our NAV may differ from those used by other companies now or in the future.
In addition, our NAV calculations, to the extent that they incorporate valuations of our assets and liabilities, are not prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, also known as GAAP. These valuations, which are based on market values that assume a willing buyer and seller, may differ from liquidation values that could be realized in the event that we were forced to sell assets. You should carefully review the disclosure of our valuation policies and how NAV will be calculated under “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines.”
If we are unable to raise substantial funds, we will be limited in the number and type of investments we make, and the value of your investment in us will be more dependent on the performance of any of the specific assets we acquire.
This offering is being made on a “best efforts” basis, meaning that the Dealer Manager is only required to use its best efforts to sell our shares and has no firm commitment or obligation to purchase any shares. As a result, the amount of proceeds we raise in this offering may be substantially less than the amount we would need to achieve a broader portfolio of investments. If we are unable to raise substantially more than the minimum offering amount, we will make fewer investments, resulting in less breadth in terms of the type, number, geography and size of investments that we make. In that case, the likelihood that any single asset’s performance would adversely affect our profitability will increase. There is a greater risk that you will lose money in your investment if we have less breadth in our portfolio. Further, we will have certain fixed operating expenses, including expenses of being a public reporting company, regardless of whether we are able to raise substantial funds. Our inability to raise substantial funds would increase our fixed operating expenses as a percentage of gross income, reducing our net income and limiting our ability to make distributions.
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In the event we are able to quickly raise a substantial amount of capital, we may have difficulty investing it in properties and debt investments.
If we are able to quickly raise capital during this offering, we may have difficulty identifying and purchasing suitable properties and debt investments on attractive terms. Therefore, there could be a delay between the time we receive net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering and the time we invest the net proceeds. This could cause a substantial delay in the time it takes for your investment to realize its full potential return and could adversely affect our ability to pay regular distributions of cash flow from operations to you. If we fail to timely invest the net proceeds of this offering, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
Our board of directors may, in the future, adopt certain measures under Maryland law without stockholder approval that may have the effect of making it less likely that a stockholder would receive a “control premium” for his or her shares.
Corporations organized under Maryland law with a class of registered securities and at least three independent directors are permitted to elect to be subject, by a charter or bylaw provision or a board of directors resolution and notwithstanding any contrary charter or bylaw provision, to any or all of five provisions:
• | staggering the board of directors into three classes; |
• | requiring atwo-thirds vote of stockholders to remove directors; |
• | providing that only the board of directors can fix the size of the board; |
• | providing that all vacancies on the board, regardless of how the vacancy was created, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred; and |
• | providing for a majority requirement for the calling of a special meeting of stockholders. |
These provisions may discourage an extraordinary transaction, such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, all of which might provide a premium price for stockholders’ shares. In our charter, we have elected that vacancies on our board of directors be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred. Through other provisions in our charter and bylaws, we vest in our board of directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships, provided that the number is not less than three. We have not elected to be subject to any of the other provisions described above, but our charter does not prohibit our board of directors from opting into any of these provisions in the future.
Further, under the Maryland Business Combination Act, we may not engage in any merger or other business combination with an “interested stockholder” (which is defined as (1) any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock and (2) an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within thetwo-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of our then outstanding stock) or any affiliate of that interested stockholder for a period of five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder. A person is not an interested stockholder if our board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which he would otherwise have become an interested stockholder. In approving a transaction, our board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms or conditions determined by our board of directors. After the five-year period ends, any merger or other business combination with the interested stockholder or any affiliate of the interested stockholder must be recommended by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
• | 80% of all votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of our voting stock; and |
• | two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of our voting stock other than those shares owned or held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate |
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the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder unless, among other things, our stockholders receive a minimum payment for their common stock equal to the highest price paid by the interested stockholder for its shares. |
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by our board of directors prior to the time the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting any business combination involving us and any person, including Starwood Capital, the Dealer Manager and the Advisor, from the provisions of this law, provided that such business combination is first approved by our board of directors.
Our charter permits our board of directors to issue preferred stock on terms that may subordinate the rights of the holders of our current common stock or discourage a third party from acquiring us.
Our board of directors is permitted, subject to certain restrictions set forth in our charter, to authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval. Further, our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, and terms or conditions of redemption of the stock and may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares or the number of shares of any class or series that we have authority to issue without stockholder approval. Thus, our board of directors could authorize us to issue shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could subordinate the rights of the holders of our common stock or have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, that might provide a premium price for holders of our common stock.
Maryland law limits, in some cases, the ability of a third party to vote shares acquired in a “control share acquisition.”
The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved by stockholders by a vote oftwo-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares of stock owned by the acquirer, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation, are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer can exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within specified ranges of voting power. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares. The control share acquisition statute does not apply: (1) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the Maryland corporation is a party to the transaction; or (2) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the Maryland corporation. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions of our stock by any person. There can be no assurance that this provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future. For a more detailed discussion on the Maryland laws governing control share acquisitions, see “Certain Provisions of Maryland Corporate Law and Our Charter and Bylaws—Control Share Acquisition.”
Maryland law and our organizational documents limit our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our directors and officers, which could reduce your and our recovery against them if they cause us to incur losses.
Maryland law provides that a director will not have any liability as a director so long as he or she performs his or her duties in accordance with the applicable standard of conduct. In addition, our charter generally limits the personal liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages subject to the limitations of the North
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American Securities Administrators Association’s Statement of Policy Regarding Real Estate Investment Trusts, as revised and adopted on May 7, 2007 (the “NASAA REIT Guidelines”) and Maryland law. Maryland law and our charter provide that no director or officer shall be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages unless the director or officer (1) actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (2) was actively and deliberately dishonest as established by a final judgment as material to the cause of action. Moreover, our charter generally requires us to indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers for losses they may incur by reason of their service in those capacities unless their act or omission was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, they actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or, in the case of any criminal proceeding, they had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. Further, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors. As a result, you and we may have more limited rights against our directors or officers than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce your and our recovery from these persons if they act in a manner that causes us to incur losses. In addition, we are obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by these persons in some cases. However, our charter provides that we may not indemnify our directors or officers, the Advisor or any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates, for any liability or loss suffered by them or hold our directors or officers, the Advisor and its affiliates harmless for any liability or loss suffered by us, unless they have determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in our best interests, they were acting on our behalf or performing services for us, the liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct by ournon-independent directors, the Advisor or any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates, or gross negligence or willful misconduct by our independent directors, and the indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets or the proceeds of insurance and not from the stockholders. See “Management—Limited Liability and Indemnification of Directors, Officers, the Advisor and Other Agents.”
Maryland law and our organizational documents limit our stockholders’ ability to amend our charter or dissolve us without the approval of our board of directors.
Although the NASAA REIT Guidelines indicate that stockholders are permitted to amend our charter or terminate us without the necessity for concurrence by our board of directors, we are required to comply with the Maryland General Corporation Law, which provides that any amendment to our charter or any dissolution of our company must first be declared advisable by our board of directors. Therefore, our stockholders may vote to authorize the amendment of our charter or the dissolution of our company, but only after such action has been declared advisable by our board of directors. Accordingly, the only proposals to amend our charter or to dissolve our company that will be presented to our stockholders will be those that have been declared advisable by our board of directors and also require approval by our stockholders.
Your interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares.
Holders of our common stock will not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue up to 1,100,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 1,000,000,000 shares are classified as common stock, of which 250,000,000 shares are classified as Class T shares, 250,000,000 shares are classified as Class S shares, 250,000,000 shares are classified as Class D shares and 250,000,000 are classified as Class I shares, and 100,000,000 shares are classified as preferred stock. In addition, our board of directors may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of capital stock or the number of authorized shares of capital stock of any class or series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may elect, without stockholder approval, to: (1) sell additional shares in this or future public offerings; (2) issue equity interests in private offerings; (3) issue shares upon the exercise of the options we may grant to our independent directors or future employees; (4) issue shares to the Advisor, or its successors or assigns, in payment of an outstanding obligation to pay fees for services rendered to us; or (5) issue shares to sellers of properties we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of our Operating Partnership. To the extent we issue additional shares after your purchase in this offering, your percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted.
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We are not required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to auditor’s attestation reports on the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting, accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.
The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for emerging growth companies, including certain requirements relating to accounting standards and compensation disclosure. We are classified as an emerging growth company. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, which may be up to five full fiscal years, unlike other public companies, we will not be required to (1) provide an auditor’s attestation report on the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards applicable to public companies until such standards are also applicable to private companies under Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act, (3) comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer, (4) comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012 unless the SEC determines otherwise, (5) provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies or (6) hold stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation.
Once we are no longer an emerging growth company, so long as our shares of common stock are not traded on a securities exchange, we will be deemed to be a“non-accelerated filer” under the Exchange Act, and as anon-accelerated filer, we will be exempt from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Advisor and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Advisor or its affiliates for salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for any person who also serves as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the Advisor, we do not pay any executive compensation, making the exemptions listed in (5) and (6) above generally inapplicable.
We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we choose to rely on any of the exemptions discussed above.
As noted above, under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to opt out of this transition period, and will therefore comply with new or revised accounting standards on the applicable dates on which the adoption of these standards is required fornon-emerging growth companies. This election is irrevocable.
Our UPREIT structure may result in potential conflicts of interest with limited partners in our Operating Partnership whose interests may not be aligned with those of our stockholders.
Our directors and officers have duties to our corporation and our stockholders under Maryland law and our charter in connection with their management of the corporation. At the same time, we, as general partner, have fiduciary duties under Delaware law to our Operating Partnership and to the limited partners in connection with the management of our Operating Partnership. Our duties as general partner of our Operating Partnership and its partners may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to the corporation and our stockholders. Under Delaware law, a general partner of a Delaware limited partnership owes its limited partners the duties of good faith and fair dealing. Other duties, including fiduciary duties, may be modified or eliminated in the partnership’s partnership agreement. The partnership agreement of our Operating Partnership provides that, for so long as we own a controlling interest in our Operating Partnership, any conflict that cannot be resolved in a manner not adverse to either our stockholders or the limited partners may be resolved in favor of our stockholders.
Additionally, the partnership agreement expressly limits our liability by providing that we and our officers, directors, agents and employees will not be liable or accountable to our Operating Partnership for losses
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sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived if we or our officers, directors, agents or employees acted in good faith. In addition, our Operating Partnership is required to indemnify us and our officers, directors, employees, agents and designees to the extent permitted by applicable law from and against any and all claims arising from operations of our Operating Partnership, unless it is established that: (1) the act or omission was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and either was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (2) the indemnified party received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (3) in the case of a criminal proceeding, the indemnified person had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.
The provisions of Delaware law that allow the fiduciary duties of a general partner to be modified by a partnership agreement have not been tested in a court of law, and we have not obtained an opinion of counsel covering the provisions set forth in the partnership agreement that purport to waive or restrict our fiduciary duties.
Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We intend to conduct our operations so that neither we, nor our Operating Partnership nor the subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership are investment companies under the Investment Company Act. However, there can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will be able to successfully avoid operating as an investment company. See “Prospectus Summary—Are there any Investment Company Act of 1940 considerations?”
Under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, a company is deemed to be an investment company if it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the 1940 Act, a company is deemed to be an investment company if it is engaged, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns or proposes to acquire “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. “Investment securities” exclude (A) U.S. government securities, (B) securities issued by employees’ securities companies and (C) securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries which (i) are not investment companies and (ii) are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act.
With respect to Section 3(a)(1)(A), we do not intend to engage primarily or hold ourself out as being engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, we will be primarily engaged in thenon-investment company businesses of our subsidiaries. With respect to Section 3(a)(1)(C), we expect that most of the entities through which we own assets will be wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exceptions from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act and, thus, we do not expect that more than 40% of our assets will be investment securities.
Through our subsidiaries, we plan to acquire, invest in and manage instruments that could be deemed to be securities for purposes of the 1940 Act. Accordingly, it is possible that more than 40% of the assets of our subsidiaries will be investments that will be deemed to be investment securities for 1940 Act purposes. However, in such a circumstance, in reliance on Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the 1940 Act, we do not intend to register any of our subsidiaries as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Section 3(c)(5)(C) is available for entities “primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate.” This exemption generally requires that at least 55% of each such subsidiary’s portfolio must be comprised of qualifying assets and at least 80% of each of their portfolios must be comprised of qualifying assets and real estate-related assets under the 1940 Act (and no more than 20% comprised ofnon-qualifying ornon-real estate-related assets). As a result of the foregoing restrictions, we will be limited in our ability to make certain investments.
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We expect that substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries will comply with the requirements of Section 3(c)(5)(C), as such requirements have been interpreted by the SEC staff. Although we intend to monitor our portfolio periodically and prior to each investment acquisition and disposition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this exemption from registration. Existing SECno-action positions were issued in accordance with factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we may face, and a number of theseno-action positions were issued more than 10 years ago. No assurance can be given that the SEC will concur with our classification of the assets of our subsidiaries. Future revisions to the 1940 Act or further guidance from the SEC staff may cause us to lose our ability to rely on Section 3(c)(5)(C) or force us tore-evaluate our portfolio and our investment strategy. Such changes may prevent us from operating our business successfully.
A change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To maintain compliance with the applicable exemption under the Investment Company Act, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to acquire assets that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.
If we were required to register as an investment company but failed to do so, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan, which could materially adversely affect our NAV and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
The Advisor is not registered and does not intend to register as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). If the Advisor is required to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, it could impact our operations and possibly reduce your investment return.
The Advisor is not currently registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and does not expect to register as an investment adviser because it does not and does not intend to have sufficient regulatory assets under management to meet the eligibility requirement under Section 203A of the Advisers Act. Whether an adviser has sufficient regulatory assets under management to require registration under the Advisers Act depends on the nature of the assets it manages. In calculating regulatory assets under management, the Advisor must include the value of each “securities portfolio” it manages. The Advisor expects that our assets will not constitute a securities portfolio so long as a majority of our assets consist of assets that we believe are not securities. However, because we may also invest in several types of securities in accordance with our investment strategy and the SEC will not affirm our determination of what portion of our investments are not securities, there is a risk that such determination is incorrect and, as a result, our investments are a securities portfolio. In such event, the Advisor may be acting as an investment adviser subject to registration under the Advisers Act that is not registered. If our investments were to constitute a “securities portfolio”, then the Advisor would be required to register under the Advisers Act, which would require it to comply with a variety of regulatory requirements under the Advisers Act on such matters as record keeping, disclosure, compliance, limitations on the types of fees it could earn and other fiduciary obligations. As a result, the Advisor would have devote additional time and resources and incur additional costs to manage our business, which could possibly reduce your investment return.
Operational risks, including the risk of cyberattacks, may disrupt our businesses, result in losses or limit our growth.
We rely heavily on our and Starwood Capital’s financial, accounting, communications and other data processing systems. Such systems may fail to operate properly or become disabled as a result of tampering or a breach of the
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network security systems or otherwise. In addition, such systems are from time to time subject to cyberattacks and other cybersecurity incidents. Breaches of Starwood Capital’s network security systems could involve attacks that are intended to obtain unauthorized access to our proprietary information or personal identifying information of our stockholders, destroy data or disable, degrade or sabotage our systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses or other malicious code, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches, usage errors by their respective professionals or service providers, power, communications or other service outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. If unauthorized parties gain access to such information and technology systems, they may be able to steal, publish, delete or modify private and sensitive information. Although Starwood Capital takes various measures to ensure the integrity of such systems, there can be no assurance that these measures will provide protection. Breaches such as those involving covertly introduced malware, impersonation of authorized users and industrial or other espionage may not be identified even with sophisticated prevention and detection systems, potentially resulting in further harm and preventing it from being addressed appropriately. The failure of Starwood Capital’s systems or of disaster recovery plans for any reason could cause significant interruptions in Starwood Capital’s and our operations and result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to our investors (and their beneficial owners) and the intellectual property and trade secrets of Starwood Capital. If such systems are compromised, do not operate properly or are disabled, we could suffer financial loss, a disruption of our businesses, liability to investors, regulatory intervention or reputational damage.
In addition, we are highly dependent on information systems and technology. Starwood Capital’s information systems and technology may not continue to be able to accommodate our growth, and the cost of maintaining such systems may increase from its current level. Such a failure to accommodate growth, or an increase in costs related to such information systems, could have a material adverse effect on us.
Furthermore, we depend on Starwood Capital’s headquarters in Miami Beach, Florida and its offices in Greenwich, Connecticut for the continued operation of our business. A disaster or a disruption in the infrastructure that supports our business, including a disruption involving electronic communications or other services used by us or third parties with whom we conduct business, or directly affecting our headquarters, could have a material adverse impact on our ability to continue to operate our business without interruption. Starwood Capital’s disaster recovery programs may not be sufficient to mitigate the harm that may result from such a disaster or disruption. In addition, insurance and other safeguards might only partially reimburse us for our losses, if at all.
Finally, we rely on third-party service providers for certain aspects of our business, including for certain information systems, technology and administration. Any interruption or deterioration in the performance of these third parties or failures of their information systems and technology could impair the quality of our operations and could affect our reputation and hence adversely affect our business.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
Our operating results will be affected by economic and regulatory changes that impact the real estate market in general.
We are subject to risks generally attributable to the ownership of real property, including:
• | changes in global, national, regional or local economic, demographic or capital market conditions; |
• | future adverse national real estate trends, including increasing vacancy rates, declining rental rates and general deterioration of market conditions; |
• | changes in supply of or demand for similar properties in a given market or metropolitan area, which could result in rising vacancy rates or decreasing market rental rates; |
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• | vacancies, fluctuations in the average occupancy and room rates for hotel properties or inability to lease space on favorable terms; |
• | increased competition for properties targeted by our investment strategy; |
• | bankruptcies, financial difficulties or lease defaults by our tenants; |
• | increases in interest rates and lack of availability of financing; and |
• | changes in government rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including increases in property taxes, changes in zoning laws, limitations on rental rates, and increasing costs to comply with environmental laws. |
All of these factors are beyond our control. Any negative changes in these factors could affect our performance and our ability to meet our obligations and make distributions to stockholders.
Our success is dependent on general market and economic conditions.
The real estate industry generally and the success of our investment activities in particular will both be affected by global and national economic and market conditions generally and by the local economic conditions where our properties are located. These factors may affect the level and volatility of real estate prices, which could impair our profitability or result in losses. In addition, general fluctuations in the market prices of securities and interest rates may affect our investment opportunities and the value of our investments. Starwood Capital’s financial condition may be adversely affected by a significant economic downturn and it may be subject to legal, regulatory, reputational and other unforeseen risks that could have a material adverse effect on Starwood Capital’s businesses and operations (including the Advisor).
A recession, slowdown or sustained downturn in the U.S. real estate market, and to a lesser extent, the global economy (or any particular segment thereof) would have a pronounced impact on us, the value of our assets and our profitability, impede the ability of our assets to perform under or refinance their existing obligations, and impair our ability to effectively deploy our capital or realize upon investments on favorable terms. We could also be affected by any overall weakening of, or disruptions in, the financial markets. Any of the foregoing events could result in substantial losses to our business, which losses will likely be exacerbated by the presence of leverage in our investments’ capital structures.
For example, as a result of the recent financial crisis, the availability of debt financing secured by commercial real estate had been significantly restricted as a result of tightened lending standards for a prolonged period. As a result of the uncertainties in the credit market, real estate investors were unable to obtain debt financing on attractive terms, which adversely affected investment returns on acquisitions or their ability to make acquisitions or tenant improvements. Any future financial market disruptions may force us to use a greater proportion of our offering proceeds to finance our acquisitions and fund tenant improvements, reducing the cash available to satisfy repurchase requests and reducing the number of acquisitions we would otherwise make.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of industries, geographies or investments.
Our portfolio may be heavily concentrated at any time in only a limited number of industries, geographies or investments, and, as a consequence, our aggregate return may be substantially affected by the unfavorable performance of even a single investment. To the extent the Advisor concentrates our investments in a particular type of asset or geography, our portfolio may become more susceptible to fluctuations in value resulting from adverse economic or business conditions affecting that particular type of asset or geography. Investors have no assurance as to the degree of diversification in our investments, either by geographic region or asset type.
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Our board of directors may change our investment and operational policies or our investment guidelines without stockholder consent.
Except for changes to the investment restrictions contained in our charter, which require stockholder consent to amend, our board of directors may change our investment and operational policies, including our policies with respect to investments, operations, indebtedness, capitalization and distributions, at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which could result in our making investments that are different from, and possibly riskier or more highly leveraged than, the types of investments described in this prospectus. Our board of directors also approved very broad investment guidelines with which the Advisor must comply, but these guidelines provide the Advisor with broad discretion and can be changed by our board of directors. A change in our investment strategy may, among other things, increase our exposure to real estate market fluctuations, default risk and interest rate risk, all of which could materially affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may have difficulty selling our properties, which may limit our flexibility and ability to pay distributions.
Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, it could be difficult for us to promptly sell one or more of our properties on favorable terms. This may limit our ability to change our portfolio quickly in response to adverse changes in the performance of any such property or economic or market trends. In addition, U.S. federal tax laws that impose a 100% excise tax on gains from sales of dealer property by a REIT (generally, property held for sale, rather than investment) could limit our ability to sell properties and may affect our ability to sell properties without adversely affecting returns to our stockholders. These restrictions could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We face risks associated with property acquisitions.
We intend to acquire properties and portfolios of properties, including large portfolios that could result in changes to our capital structure. Our acquisition activities and their success are subject to the following risks:
• | we may be unable to complete an acquisition after making anon-refundable deposit and incurring certain other acquisition-related costs; |
• | we may be unable to obtain financing for acquisitions on commercially reasonable terms or at all; |
• | acquired properties may fail to perform as expected; |
• | acquired properties may be located in new markets in which we may face risks associated with a lack of market knowledge or understanding of the local economy, lack of business relationships in the area and unfamiliarity with local governmental and permitting procedures; and |
• | we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions, particularly acquisitions of portfolios of properties, into our existing operations. |
In addition, while we will invest primarily in stabilized, income-oriented real estate, we may also acquire assets that require some amount of capital investment in order to be renovated or repositioned. These investments are generally subject to higher risk of loss than investments in stabilized real estate and there is no guarantee that any renovation or repositioning will be successful, or that the actual costs will not be greater than our estimates.
The acquisition and disposition of real properties carry certain litigation risks at the property level that may reduce our profitability and the return on your investment.
The acquisition and disposition of real properties carry certain specific litigation risks. Litigation may be commenced with respect to a property acquired by us in relation to activities that took place prior to our acquisition of such property. In addition, at the time of disposition of an individual property, a potential buyer may claim that it should have been afforded the opportunity to purchase the asset or alternatively that such potential buyer should be awarded due diligence expenses incurred or statutory damages for misrepresentation
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relating to disclosure made, if such buyer is passed over in favor of another as part of our efforts to maximize sale proceeds. Similarly, successful buyers may later sue us under various damage theories, including those sounding in tort, for losses associated with latent defects or other problems not uncovered in due diligence.
Competition in acquiring properties may reduce our profitability and the return on your investment.
We face competition from various entities for investment opportunities in properties, including other REITs, pension funds, insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. In addition to third-party competitors, other programs sponsored by the Advisor and its affiliates, particularly those with investment strategies that overlap with ours, may seek investment opportunities under Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures. Many of these entities may have greater access to capital to acquire properties than we have. Competition from these entities may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell. Additionally, disruptions and dislocations in the credit markets could have a material impact on the cost and availability of debt to finance real estate acquisitions, which is a key component of our acquisition strategy. The lack of available debt on reasonable terms or at all could result in a further reduction of suitable investment opportunities and create a competitive advantage for other entities that have greater financial resources than we do. In addition, over the past several years, a number of real estate funds and publicly traded andnon-listed REITs have been formed and others have been consolidated (and many such existing funds have grown in size) for the purpose of investing in real estate real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities. Additional real estate funds, vehicles and REITs with similar investment objectives may be formed in the future by other unrelated parties and further consolidations may occur (resulting in larger funds and vehicles). Consequently, it is expected that competition for appropriate investment opportunities may reduce the number of investment opportunities available to us and adversely affect the terms, including price, upon which investments can be made. This competition may cause us to acquire properties and other investments at higher prices or by using less-than-ideal capital structures, and in such case our returns will be lower and the value of our assets may not appreciate or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets. If such events occur, you may experience a lower return on your investment.
We may make a substantial amount of joint venture investments, including with Starwood Capital affiliates. Joint venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on the financial condition of our joint venture partners and disputes between us and our joint venture partners.
We mayco-invest in the future with Starwood Capital affiliates or third parties in partnerships or other entities that own real estate properties, which we collectively refer to as joint ventures. We likely will acquirenon-controlling interests in joint ventures. We may pay fees to our joint venture partners, including incentive fees and promotes, which have the impact of reducing our profits from these joint venture investments. Even if we have some control in a joint venture, we would not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding the joint venture. Investments in joint ventures may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present were another party not involved, including the possibility that joint venture partners might become bankrupt or fail to fund their required capital contributions. Joint venture partners may have economic or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also have the potential risk of impasses on decisions, such as a sale, because neither we nor the joint venture partner would have full control over the joint venture. Disputes between us and joint venture partners may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and directors from focusing their time and effort on our business. Consequently, actions by or disputes with joint venture partners might result in subjecting properties owned by the joint venture to additional risk. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our joint venture partners.
In addition, in connection with any shared investments in which we participate alongside any Other Starwood Accounts, the Advisor may from time to time grant absolutely or share with such Other Starwood Accounts
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certain rights relating to such shared investments for legal, tax, regulatory or other reasons, including, in certain instances, rights with respect to the structuring or sale of such shared investments. There is no guarantee that we will be able toco-invest with any Other Starwood Account. We will not participate in joint ventures in which we do not have or share control to the extent that we believe such participation would potentially threaten our status as anon-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act. This may prevent us from receiving an allocation with respect to certain investment opportunities that are suitable for both us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts.
If we have a right of first refusal or right of first offer to buy out a joint venture partner, we may be unable to finance such abuy-out if it becomes exercisable or we are required to purchase such interest at a time when it would not otherwise be in our best interest to do so. If our interest is subject to a buy/sell right, we may not have sufficient cash, available borrowing capacity or other capital resources to allow us to elect to purchase an interest of a joint venture partner subject to the buy/sell right, in which case we may be forced to sell our interest as the result of the exercise of such right when we would otherwise prefer to keep our interest. If we buy our joint venture partner’s interest we will have increased exposure in the underlying investment. The price we use to buy our joint venture partner’s interest or sell our interest is typically determined by negotiations between us and our joint venture partner and there is no assurance that such price will be representative of the value of the underlying property or equal to our then-current valuation of our interest in the joint venture that is used to calculate our NAV. Finally, we may not be able to sell our interest in a joint venture if we desire to exit the venture for any reason or if our interest is likewise subject to a right of first refusal or right of first offer of our joint venture partner, our ability to sell such interest may be adversely impacted by such right. Joint ownership arrangements with Starwood Capital affiliates may also entail further conflicts of interest.
Some additional risks and conflicts related to our joint venture investments (including joint venture investments with Starwood Capital affiliates) include:
• | the joint venture partner may have economic or other interests that are inconsistent with our interests, including interests relating to the financing, management, operation, leasing or sale of the assets purchased by such joint venture; |
• | we may pay incentive fees and promotes to our joint venture partners, which may cause their interests to differ from ours; |
• | tax, Investment Company Act and other regulatory requirements applicable to the joint venture partner may cause it to want to take actions contrary to our interests; |
• | the joint venture partner may have joint control of the joint venture even in cases where its economic stake in the joint venture is significantly less than ours; |
• | under the joint venture arrangement, neither we nor the joint venture partner will be in a position to unilaterally control the joint venture, and deadlocks may occur. Such deadlocks could adversely impact the operations and profitability of the joint venture, including as a result of the inability of the joint venture to act quickly in connection with a potential acquisition or disposition. In addition, depending on the governance structure of such joint venture partner, decisions of such vehicle may be subject to approval by individuals who are independent of Starwood Capital; |
• | under the joint venture arrangement, we and the joint venture partner may have a buy/sell right and, as a result of an impasse that triggers the exercise of such right, we may be forced to sell our investment in the joint venture, or buy the joint venture partner’s share of the joint venture at a time when it would not otherwise be in our best interest to do so; and |
• | our participation in investments in which a joint venture partner participates will be less than what our participation would have been had such other vehicle not participated, and because there may be no limit on the amount of capital that such joint venture partner can raise, the degree of our participation in such investments may decrease over time. |
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Furthermore, we may have conflicting fiduciary obligations if we acquire properties with our affiliates or other related entities; as a result, in any such transaction we may not have the benefit ofarm’s-length negotiations of the type normally conducted between unrelated parties.
Acquiring or attempting to acquire multiple properties in a single transaction may adversely affect our operations.
From time to time, we may acquire multiple properties in a single transaction. Portfolio acquisitions typically are more complex and expensive than single-property acquisitions, and the risk that a multiple-property acquisition does not close may be greater than in a single-property acquisition. Portfolio acquisitions may also result in us owning investments in geographically dispersed markets, placing additional demands on the Advisor in managing the properties in the portfolio. In addition, a seller may require that a group of properties be purchased as a package even though we may not want to purchase one or more properties in the portfolio. In these situations, if we are unable to identify another person or entity to acquire the unwanted properties, we may be required to operate or attempt to dispose of these properties. We also may be required to accumulate a large amount of cash to fund such acquisitions. We would expect the returns that we earn on such cash to be less than the returns on investments in real property. Therefore, acquiring multiple properties in a single transaction may reduce the overall yield on our portfolio.
In the event we obtain options to acquire properties, we may lose the amount paid for such options whether or not the underlying property is purchased.
We may obtain options to acquire certain properties. The amount paid for an option, if any, is normally surrendered if the property is not purchased and may or may not be credited against the purchase price if the property is purchased. Any unreturned option payments will reduce the amount of cash available for further investments or distributions to our stockholders.
In our due diligence review of potential investments, we may rely on third-party consultants and advisors and representations made by sellers of potential portfolio properties, and we may not identify all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating potential investments.
Before making investments, the Advisor will typically conduct due diligence that it deems reasonable and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances applicable to each investment. Due diligence may entail evaluation of important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants, investment banks and other third parties, including affiliates of the Advisor or Starwood Capital, may be involved in the due diligence process to varying degrees depending on the type of investment, the costs of which will be borne by us. Such involvement of third-party advisors or consultants may present a number of risks primarily relating to the Advisor’s reduced control of the functions that are outsourced. Where affiliates of Starwood Capital are utilized, the Advisor’s management fee will not be offset for the fees paid or expenses reimbursed to such affiliates. In addition, if the Advisor is unable to timely engage third-party providers, the ability to evaluate and acquire more complex targets could be adversely affected. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding a potential investment, the Advisor will rely on the resources available to it, including information provided by the target of the investment and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. The due diligence investigation that the Advisor carries out with respect to any investment opportunity may not reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity. Moreover, such an investigation will not necessarily result in the investment being successful. There can be no assurance that attempts to provide downside protection with respect to investments, including pursuant to risk management procedures described in this prospectus, will achieve their desired effect and potential investors should regard an investment in us as being speculative and having a high degree of risk.
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We will rely on property managers to operate our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties.
The Advisor intends to hire property managers to manage our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. The property managers will have significant decision-making authority with respect to the management of our properties. We will be particularly dependent on property managers of any hospitality and leisure properties we invest in. Our ability to direct and control how our properties are managed on aday-to-day basis may be limited because we will engage other parties to perform this function. Thus, the success of our business may depend in large part on the ability of our property managers to manage theday-to-day operations and the ability of our leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. Any adversity experienced by, or problems in our relationship with, our property managers or leasing agents could adversely impact the operation and profitability of our properties.
We will depend on tenants for our revenue, and therefore our revenue will be dependent on the success and economic viability of our tenants. Our reliance on single or significant tenants in certain buildings may decrease our ability to lease vacated space.
We expect that rental income from real property will, directly or indirectly, constitute a significant portion of our income. Delays in collecting accounts receivable from tenants could adversely affect our cash flows and financial condition. In addition, the inability of a single major tenant or a number of smaller tenants to meet their rental obligations would adversely affect our income. Therefore, our financial success will be indirectly dependent on the success of the businesses operated by the tenants in our properties or in the properties securing loans we may own. The weakening of the financial condition of or the bankruptcy or insolvency of a significant tenant or a number of smaller tenants and vacancies caused by defaults of tenants or the expiration of leases may adversely affect our operations and our ability to pay distributions.
Generally, under U.S. bankruptcy law, a debtor tenant has 120 days to exercise the option of assuming or rejecting the obligations under any unexpired lease for nonresidential real property, which period may be extended once by the bankruptcy court for an additional 90 days. If the tenant assumes its lease, the tenant must cure all defaults under the lease and may be required to provide adequate assurance of its future performance under the lease. If the tenant rejects the lease, we will have a claim against the tenant’s bankruptcy estate. Although rent owing for the period between filing for bankruptcy and rejection of the lease may be afforded administrative expense priority and paid in full,pre-bankruptcy arrears and amounts owing under the remaining term of the lease will be afforded general unsecured claim status (absent collateral securing the claim). Moreover, amounts owing under the remaining term of the lease will be capped. Other than equity and subordinated claims, general unsecured claims are the last claims paid in a bankruptcy and therefore funds may not be available to pay such claims in full.
Some of our properties may be leased to a single or significant tenant and, accordingly, may be suited to the particular or unique needs of such tenant. We may have difficulty replacing such a tenant if the floor plan of the vacant space limits the types of businesses that can use the space without major renovation. In addition, the resale value of the property could be diminished because the market value of a particular property will depend principally upon the value of the leases of such property.
We may be unable to renew leases as leases expire.
We may not be able to lease properties that are vacant or become vacant because a tenant decides not to renew its lease or by the continued default of a tenant under its lease. In addition, certain of the properties we acquire may have some level of vacancy at the time of acquisition. Certain other properties may be specifically suited to the particular needs of a tenant and may become vacant after we acquire them. Even if a tenant renews its lease or we enter into a lease with a new tenant, the terms of the new lease may be less favorable than the terms of the old lease. In addition, the resale value of the property could be diminished because the market value may depend
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principally upon the value of the property’s leases. If we are unable to promptly renew or enter into new leases, or if the rental rates are lower than expected, our results of operations and financial condition will be adversely affected. For example, following the termination or expiration of a tenant’s lease there may be a period of time before we will begin receiving rental payments under a replacement lease. During that period, we will continue to bear fixed expenses such as interest, real estate taxes, maintenance, security, repairs and other operating expenses. In addition, declining economic conditions may impair our ability to attract replacement tenants and achieve rental rates equal to or greater than the rents paid under previous leases. Increased competition for tenants may require us to make capital improvements to properties which would not have otherwise been planned. Any unbudgeted capital improvements that we undertake may divert cash that would otherwise be available for distributions or for satisfying repurchase requests. Ultimately, to the extent that we are unable to renew leases orre-let space as leases expire, decreased cash flow from tenants will result, which could adversely impact our operating results.
We may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a tenant can be found for a property at an attractive lease rate or an investment in a property can be sold. No assurance can be given that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements. In acquiring a property, we may agree tolock-out provisions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed on that property. These factors and others that could impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties could significantly affect our financial condition and operating results.
Leases with retail properties’ tenants may restrict us fromre-leasing space.
Most leases with retail tenants contain provisions giving the particular tenant the exclusive right to sell particular types of merchandise or provide specific types of services within the particular retail center. These provisions may limit the number and types of prospective tenants interested in leasing space in a particular retail property.
Our properties will face significant competition.
We may face significant competition from owners, operators and developers of properties. Substantially all of our properties will face competition from similar properties in the same market. This competition may affect our ability to attract and retain tenants and may reduce the rents we are able to charge. These competing properties may have vacancy rates higher than our properties, which may result in their owners being willing to lease available space at lower prices than the space in our properties. If one of our properties were to lose an anchor tenant, this could impact the leases of other tenants, who may be able to modify or terminate their leases as a result.
Our properties may be leased at below-market rates under long-term leases.
We may seek to negotiate longer-term leases to reduce the cash flow volatility associated with lease rollovers, provided that contractual rent increases are included. In addition, where appropriate, we will seek leases that provide for operating expenses, or expense increases, to be paid by the tenants. These leases may allow tenants to renew the lease withpre-defined rate increases. If we do not accurately judge the potential for increases in market rental rates, we may set the rental rates of these long-term leases at levels such that even after contractual rental increases, the resulting rental rates are less than then-current market rental rates. Further, we may be unable to terminate those leases or adjust the rent to then-prevailing market rates. As a result, our income and distributions to our stockholders could be lower than if we did not enter into long-term leases.
We will depend on the availability of public utilities and services, especially for water and electric power. Any reduction, interruption or cancellation of these services may adversely affect us.
Public utilities, especially those that provide water and electric power, will be fundamental for the sound operation of our assets. The delayed delivery or any material reduction or prolonged interruption of these
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services could allow tenants to terminate their leases or result in an increase in our costs, as we may be forced to use backup generators, which also could be insufficient to fully operate our facilities and could result in our inability to provide services.
We may experience material losses or damage related to our properties and such losses may not be covered by insurance.
We may experience losses related to our properties arising from natural disasters and acts of God, vandalism or other crime, faulty construction or accidents, fire, war, acts of terrorism or other catastrophes. We plan to carry insurance covering our properties under policies the Advisor deems appropriate. The Advisor will select policy specifications and insured limits that it believes to be appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice. Insurance policies on our properties may include some coverage for losses that are generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to terrorism, earthquakes and floods, but we cannot assure you that it will be adequate to cover all losses and some of our policies will be insured subject to limitations involving large deductibles orco-payments and policy limits that may not be sufficient to cover losses. In general, losses related to terrorism are becoming harder and more expensive to insure against. Most insurers are excluding terrorism coverage from theirall-risk policies. In some cases, the insurers are offering significantly limited coverage against terrorist acts for additional premiums, which can greatly increase the total costs of casualty insurance for a property. As a result, not all investments may be insured against terrorism. If we or one or more of our tenants experience a loss that is uninsured or that exceeds policy limits, we could lose the capital invested in the damaged properties as well as the anticipated future cash flows from those properties. In addition, if the damaged properties are subject to recourse indebtedness, we would continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if these properties were irreparably damaged.
We could become subject to liability for environmental violations, regardless of whether we caused such violations.
We could become subject to liability in the form of fines or damages for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid hazardous materials, the remediation of contaminated property associated with the disposal of solid and hazardous materials and other health and safety-related concerns. Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on tenants, owners or managers for the costs of investigation or remediation of contaminated properties, regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal. Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances, and regulations, a current or former owner or manager of real property may be liable for the cost to remove or remediate hazardous or toxic substances, wastes, or petroleum products on, under, from, or in such property. These costs could be substantial and liability under these laws may attach whether or not the owner or manager knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such contamination. Even if more than one person may have been responsible for the contamination, each liable party may be held entirely responsible for all of theclean-up costs incurred.
In addition, third parties may sue the owner or manager of a property for damages based on personal injury, natural resources, or property damage or for other costs, including investigation andclean-up costs, resulting from the environmental contamination. The presence of contamination on one of our properties, or the failure to properly remediate a contaminated property, could give rise to a lien in favor of the government for costs it may incur to address the contamination, or otherwise adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the property or borrow using the property as collateral. In addition, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which the property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants. There can be no assurance that future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability, or that the environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by the operations of the tenants, by the existing condition of the land, by operations in the vicinity of the properties.
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There can be no assurance that these laws, or changes in these laws, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Our costs associated with complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”) may affect cash available for distributions.
Any domestic properties we acquire will generally be subject to the ADA. Under the ADA, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The ADA has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. The ADA’s requirements could require removal of access barriers and could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages. We may not acquire properties that comply with the ADA or we may not be able to allocate the burden on the seller or other third party, such as a tenant, to ensure compliance with the ADA in all cases.
The properties we acquire will be subject to property taxes that may increase in the future, which could adversely affect our cash flow.
Any properties we acquire will be subject to real and personal property taxes that may increase as property tax rates change and as the properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Some of our leases may provide that the property taxes, or increases therein, are charged to the lessees as an expense related to the properties that they occupy. As the owner of the properties, however, we are ultimately responsible for payment of the taxes to the government. If property taxes increase, our tenants may be unable to make the required tax payments, ultimately requiring us to pay the taxes. In addition, we will generally be responsible for property taxes related to any vacant space. If we purchase residential properties, the leases for such properties typically will not allow us to pass through real estate taxes and other taxes to residents of such properties. Consequently, any tax increases may adversely affect our results of operations at such properties.
Certain of our investments may be in the form of ground leases, which provide limited rights to the underlying property.
We invest from time to time in real estate properties that are subject to ground leases. As a lessee under a ground lease, we may be exposed to the possibility of losing the property upon termination, or an earlier breach by us, of the ground lease, which may adversely impact our investment performance. Furthermore, ground leases generally provide for certain provisions that limit the ability to sell certain properties subject to the lease. In order to assign or transfer rights and obligations under certain ground leases, we will generally need to obtain consent of the landlord of such property, which, in turn, could adversely impact the price realized from any such sale.
Certain properties may require permits or licenses.
A license, approval or permit may be required to acquire certain investments and their direct or indirect holding companies (or registration may be required before an acquisition can be completed). There can be no guarantee of when and if such a license, approval or permit will be obtained or if the registration will be effected.
Certain properties may require an expedited transaction, which may result in limited information being available about the property prior to its acquisition.
The Advisor may be required to be undertake investment analyses and decisions on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Advisor at the time of making an investment decision may be limited, and the Advisor may not have access to detailed information regarding the investment property, such as physical characteristics, environmental matters, zoning regulations or other local conditions affecting an investment property. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Advisor will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment, and we may make investments which we would not have made if more extensive due diligence had been undertaken.
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We will face risks in effecting operating improvements.
In some cases, the success of an investment will depend, in part, on our ability to restructure and effect improvements in the operations of a property. The activity of identifying and implementing restructuring programs and operating improvements at property entails a high degree of uncertainty. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully identify and implement such restructuring programs and improvements.
In certain cases, financings for our properties may be recourse to us.
Generally, commercial real estate financings are structured as nonrecourse to the borrower, which limits a lender’s recourse to the property pledged as collateral for the loan, and not the other assets of the borrower or to any parent of borrower, in the event of a loan default. However, lenders customarily will require that a creditworthy parent entity enter intoso-called “recourse carveout” guarantees to protect the lender against certainbad-faith or other intentional acts of the borrower in violation of the loan documents. A “bad boy” guarantee typically provides that the lender can recover losses from the guarantors for certain bad acts, such as fraud or intentional misrepresentation, intentional waste, willful misconduct, criminal acts, misappropriation of funds, voluntary incurrence of prohibited debt and environmental losses sustained by lender. In addition, “bad boy” guarantees typically provide that the loan will be a full personal recourse obligation of the guarantor, for certain actions, such as prohibited transfers of the collateral or changes of control and voluntary bankruptcy of the borrower. It is expected that the financing arrangements with respect to our investments generally will require “bad boy” guarantees from us and the Operating Partnership and in the event that such a guarantee is called, our assets could be adversely affected. Moreover, our “bad boy” guarantees could apply to actions of the joint venture partners associated with our investments. While the Advisor expects to negotiate indemnities from such joint venture partners to protect against such risks, there remains the possibility that the acts of such joint venture partner could result in liability to us under such guarantees. We may provide “bad boy” guarantees on behalf of Other Starwood Accounts investing alongside us and as such guarantees are not for borrowed money, they will typically not be included under our leverage limitations. In addition, to the extent we develop properties, we may provide completion guarantees and assume standard obligations under development agreements.
Certain of the mortgages and mezzanine loans securing our properties may provide for full recourse to the obligor, including guarantors, thereof in the event of specified defaults, permitting a mortgage or mezzanine lender to a recovery in excess of the value of the property securing the mortgage or mezzanine loan.
Our properties are expected to be owned through special purpose entities. Certain of our mortgage and mezzanine loans on properties owned by such entities may provide that, in the event of a breach of the representations, warranties or covenants relating to special purpose entity status, the loans, which are otherwisenon-recourse, ornon-recourse to obligors other than the borrower, are recourse to the obligors thereof, including guarantors, thereby permitting a mortgage or mezzanine lender to a recovery in excess of the value of the property securing the mortgage. In the event of such a breach, lenders may be able to recover the full value of their loans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We will face legal risks when making investments.
Investments are usually governed by a complex series of legal documents and contracts. As a result, the risk of dispute over interpretation or enforceability of the documentation may be higher than for other investments. In addition, it is not uncommon for investments to be exposed to a variety of other legal risks. These can include, but are not limited to, environmental issues, land expropriation and other property-related claims, industrial action and legal action from special interest groups.
We are subject to additional risks from our international investments.
We may purchase real estate investments located internationally. These investments may be affected by factors particular to the laws and business practices of the jurisdictions in which the properties are located. These laws
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and business practices may expose us to risks that are different from and in addition to those commonly found in the United States. Foreign investments are subject to risk, including the following risks:
• | the burden of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws; |
• | changing governmental rules and policies, including changes in land use and zoning laws, more stringent environmental laws or changes in such environmental laws; |
• | existing or new laws relating to the foreign ownership of real property or loans and laws restricting the ability of foreign persons or companies to remove profits earned from activities within the country to the person’s or company’s country of origin; |
• | the potential for expropriation; |
• | possible currency transfer restrictions; |
• | imposition of adverse or confiscatory taxes; |
• | changes in real estate and other tax rates and changes in other operating expenses in particular countries; |
• | possible challenges to the anticipated tax treatment of the structures that allow us to acquire and hold investments; |
• | adverse market conditions caused by terrorism, civil unrest and changes in national or local governmental or economic conditions; |
• | the willingness of domestic or foreign lenders to make loans in certain countries and changes in the availability, cost and terms of loan funds resulting from varying national economic policies; |
• | general political and economic instability in certain regions; and |
• | the potential difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries. |
Investments in international properties subject us to foreign currency risks.
Revenues generated from any properties we acquire or ventures we enter into relating to transactions involving assets located in markets outside the United States likely will be denominated in the local currency. Therefore, any investments we make outside the United States may subject us to foreign currency risk due to potential fluctuations in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. As a result, changes in exchange rates of any such foreign currency to the U.S. dollar may affect our revenues, operating margins and distributions and may also affect the book value of our assets and the amount of stockholders’ equity.
Inflation in foreign countries, along with government measures to curb inflation, may have an adverse effect on our investments.
Certain countries have in the past experienced extremely high rates of inflation. Inflation, along with governmental measures to curb inflation, coupled with public speculation about possible future governmental measures to be adopted, has had significant negative effects on these international economies in the past and this could occur again in the future. The introduction of governmental policies to curb inflation can have an adverse effect on our business. High inflation in the countries in which we purchase real estate or make other investments could increase our expenses and we may not be able to pass these increased costs on to our tenants.
Lack of compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the FCPA, which generally prohibits United States companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Foreign
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companies, including potential competitors, are not subject to these prohibitions. Fraudulent practices, including corruption, extortion, bribery,pay-offs, theft and others, occur fromtime-to-time in countries in which we may do business. If people acting on our behalf or at our request are found to have engaged in such practices, severe penalties and other consequences could be imposed on us that may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition and our ability to make distributions to you and the value of your investment.
We may be adversely affected by trends in the office real estate industry.
Some businesses are rapidly evolving to make employee telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workplaces and teleconferencing increasingly common. These practices enable businesses to reduce their space requirements. A continuation of the movement towards these practices could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations, each of which could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make expected distributions to our stockholders.
Our retail tenants will face competition from numerous retail channels.
Retailers leasing our properties will face continued competition from discount or value retailers, factory outlet centers, wholesale clubs, mail order catalogues and operators, television shopping networks and shopping via the internet. Such competition could adversely affect our tenants and, consequently, our revenues and funds available for distribution.
Retail properties depend on anchor tenants to attract shoppers and could be adversely affected by the loss of a key anchor tenant.
Retail properties, like other properties, are subject to the risk that tenants may be unable to make their lease payments or may decline to extend a lease upon its expiration. A lease termination by a tenant that occupies a large area of a retail center (commonly referred to as an anchor tenant) could impact leases of other tenants. Other tenants may be entitled to modify the terms of their existing leases in the event of a lease termination by an anchor tenant, or the closure of the business of an anchor tenant that leaves its space vacant even if the anchor tenant continues to pay rent. Any such modifications or conditions could be unfavorable to us as the property owner and could decrease rents or expense recoveries. Additionally, major tenant closures may result in decreased customer traffic, which could lead to decreased sales at other stores. In the event of default by a tenant or anchor store, we may experience delays and costs in enforcing our rights as landlord to recover amounts due to us under the terms of our agreements with those parties.
Our industrial tenants may be adversely affected by a decline in manufacturing activity in the United States.
Fluctuations in manufacturing activity in the United States may adversely affect our industrial tenants and therefore the demand for and profitability of our industrial properties. Trade agreements with foreign countries have given employers the option to utilize less expensive foreign manufacturing workers. Outsourcing manufacturing activities could reduce the demand for U.S. workers, thereby reducing the profitability of our industrial tenants and the demand for and profitability of our industrial properties.
We could be negatively impacted by the condition of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and by changes in government support for multifamily housing.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are a major source of financing for multifamily real estate in the United States. We expect to utilize loan programs sponsored by these entities as a source of capital to finance our growth and our operations. In September 2008, the U.S. government increased its control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and placed both companies into a government conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In
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December 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its financial support for these conservatorships. In February 2011, the Obama administration released its blueprint for winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for reforming the system of housing finance. Since that time, members of Congress have introduced, and Congressional committees have considered, a substantial number of bills that include comprehensive or incremental approaches to winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or changing their purposes, businesses or operations. A decision by the U.S. government to eliminate or downscale Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or to reduce government support for multifamily housing more generally may adversely affect interest rates, capital availability, development of multifamily communities and the value of multifamily assets and, as a result, may adversely affect our future growth and operations. Any potential reduction in loans, guarantees and credit-enhancement arrangements from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could jeopardize the effectiveness of the multifamily sector’s derivative securities market, potentially causing breaches in loan covenants, and through reduced loan availability, impact the value of multifamily assets, which could impair the value of a significant portion of multifamily communities. Specifically, the potential for a decrease in liquidity made available to the multifamily sector by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could:
• | make it more difficult for us to secure new takeout financing for any multifamily development projects we acquire; |
• | hinder our ability to refinance any completed multifamily assets; |
• | decrease the amount of available liquidity and credit that could be used to broaden our portfolio through the acquisition of multifamily assets; and |
• | require us to obtain other sources of debt capital with potentially different terms. |
Short-term multifamily community leases associated with any multifamily properties we acquire may expose us to the effects of declining market rent and could adversely impact our ability to make cash distributions to you.
We expect that, to the extent that we invest in any multifamily properties, substantially all of our multifamily community leases will be on a short-term basis. Because these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues may be impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms.
Increased levels of unemployment could adversely affect the occupancy and rental rates of any multifamily properties we acquire.
Increased levels of unemployment in multifamily markets could significantly decrease occupancy and rental rates. In times of increasing unemployment, multifamily occupancy and rental rates have historically been adversely affected by:
• | rental residents deciding to share rental units and therefore rent fewer units; |
• | potential residents moving back into family homes or delaying leaving family homes; |
• | a reduced demand for higher-rent units; |
• | a decline in household formation; |
• | persons enrolled in college delaying leaving college or choosing to proceed to or return to graduate school in the absence of available employment; |
• | the inability or unwillingness of residents to pay rent increases; and |
• | increased collection losses. |
These factors generally have contributed to lower rental rates. To the extent that we invest in any multifamily properties, our results of operations, financial condition and ability to make distributions to you may be adversely affected if these factors do not improve or worsen.
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If any credit market disruptions or economic slowdowns occur, any investments in multifamily properties may face increased competition from single-family homes and condominiums for rent, which could limit our ability to retain residents, lease apartment units or increase or maintain rents.
Any multifamily communities in which we invest may compete with numerous housing alternatives in attracting residents, including single-family homes and condominiums available for rent. Such competitive housing alternatives may become more prevalent in a particular area in the event of any tightening of mortgage lending underwriting criteria, homeowner foreclosures, declines in single-family home and condominium sales or lack of available credit. The number of single-family homes and condominiums for rent in a particular area could limit our ability to retain residents, lease apartment units or increase or maintain rents.
The multifamily properties in which we invest must comply with the Fair Housing Amendment of 1988.
The multifamily properties in which we invest domestically, if any, must comply with the Fair Housing Amendment Act of 1988 (“FHAA”), which requires that multifamily communities first occupied after March 13, 1991 be accessible to handicapped residents and visitors. Compliance with the FHAA could require removal of structural barriers to handicapped access in a community, including the interiors of apartment units covered under the FHAA. Recently there has been heightened scrutiny of multifamily housing communities for compliance with the requirements of the FHAA and the ADA and an increasing number of substantial enforcement actions and private lawsuits have been brought against multifamily communities to ensure compliance with these requirements. Noncompliance with the FHAA and the ADA could result in the imposition of fines, awards of damages to private litigants, payment of attorneys’ fees and other costs to plaintiffs, substantial litigation costs and substantial costs of remediation.
The hospitality or leisure industry is seasonal.
The hospitality or leisure industry is seasonal in nature. Seasonal slowdown is generally in the third quarter and, to a lesser extent, in the fourth quarter of each year. As a result of the seasonality of the hospitality or leisure industry, there will likely be quarterly fluctuations in results of operations of any hospitality or leisure properties that we may own. In addition, any such properties that we may own may be adversely affected by factors outside our control, such as extreme weather conditions or natural disasters, terrorist attacks or alerts, outbreaks of contagious diseases, airline strikes, economic factors and other considerations affecting travel.
The hospitality or leisure market is highly competitive and generally subject to greater volatility than our other market segments.
The hospitality or leisure business is highly competitive and influenced by factors such as general and local economic conditions, location, room rates, quality, service levels, reputation and reservation systems, among many other factors. There are many competitors in this market, and these competitors may have substantially greater marketing and financial resources than those available to us. Competition also comes fromnon-traditional hospitality sources, such as home-sharing platforms. This competition, along with other factors, such as over-building in the hospitality or leisure industry and certain deterrents to traveling, may increase the number of rooms available and may decrease the average occupancy and room rates of our hospitality or leisure properties. The demand for rooms at any hospitality or leisure properties that we may acquire will change much more rapidly than the demand for space at other properties that we acquire. This volatility in room demand and occupancy rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay distributions to stockholders.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate-Related Debt
Investments in real estate-related debt is subject to risks including various creditor risks and early redemption features which may materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
The debt securities and other interests in which we may invest may include secured or unsecured debt at various levels of an issuer’s capital structure. The debt securities in which we may invest may not be protected by
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financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness, may be illiquid or have limited liquidity, and may not be rated by a credit rating agency. Debt securities are also subject to other creditor risks, including (i) the possible invalidation of an investment transaction as a “fraudulent conveyance” under relevant creditors’ rights laws,(ii) so-called lender liability claims by the issuer of the obligation and (iii) environmental liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations. Our investments may be subject to early redemption features, refinancing options,pre-payment options or similar provisions which, in each case, could result in the issuer repaying the principal on an obligation held by us earlier than expected, resulting in a lower return to us than anticipated or reinvesting in a new obligation at a lower return to us.
Our debt investments face prepayment risk and interest rate fluctuations that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
During periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a security or borrower under a loan may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing us to reinvest the proceeds from such prepayment in lower yielding securities or loans, which may result in a decline in our return. Debt investments frequently have call features that allow the issuer to redeem the security at dates prior to its stated maturity at a specified price (typically greater than par) only if certain prescribed conditions are met. An issuer may choose to redeem a debt security if, for example, the issuer can refinance the debt at a lower cost due to declining interest rates or an improvement in the credit standing of the issuer. In addition, the market price of our investments will change in response to changes in interest rates and other factors. During periods of declining interest rates, the market price of fixed-rate debt investments generally rises. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market price of such investments generally declines. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of debt investments is generally greater for securities with longer maturities. There is a consensus that the U.S. Federal Reserve will increase benchmark interest rates, which could negatively impact the price of debt securities and could adversely affect the value of our investments.
Real estate-related debt investments face a number of general market-related risks that can affect the creditworthiness of issuers, and modifications to certain loan structures and market terms make it more difficult to monitor and evaluate investments.
We will invest in real estate-related debt investments. Any deterioration of real estate fundamentals generally, and in the United States in particular, could negatively impact our performance by making it more difficult for issuers to satisfy their debt payment obligations, increasing the default risk applicable to issuers, or making it relatively more difficult for us to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns. Changes in general economic conditions will affect the creditworthiness of issuers and real estate collateral relating to our investments and may include economic and market fluctuations, changes in environmental and zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, decreases in property values, changes in the appeal of properties to tenants, changes in supply and demand for competing properties in an area (as a result, for instance, of overbuilding), fluctuations in real estate fundamentals (including average occupancy, operating income and room rates for hotel properties), the financial resources of tenants, changes in availability of debt financing which may render the sale or refinancing of properties difficult or impracticable, changes in building, environmental and other laws, energy and supply shortages, various uninsured or uninsurable risks, natural disasters, political events, trade barriers, currency exchange controls, changes in government regulations (such as rent control), changes in real property tax rates and operating expenses, changes in interest rates, changes in the availability of debt financing and mortgage funds which may render the sale or refinancing of properties difficult or impracticable, increased mortgage defaults, increases in borrowing rates, negative developments in the economy or political climate that depress travel activity, environmental liabilities, contingent liabilities on disposition of assets, acts of God, terrorist attacks, war, demand or real estate values generally and other factors that are beyond the control of the Advisor. There can be no assurance that there will be a ready market for the resale of investments because investments may not be liquid. Illiquidity may result from the absence of an established market for the investments, as well as legal or contractual restrictions on their resale by us. The value of securities of companies which service the real estate business sector may also be affected by such risks.
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The Advisor cannot predict whether economic conditions generally, and the conditions for real estate debt investing in particular, will deteriorate in the future. Declines in the performance of the U.S. and global economies or in the real estate debt markets could have a material adverse effect on our investment activities. In addition, market conditions relating to real estate debt investments have evolved since the financial crisis, which has resulted in a modification to certain loan structures and market terms. For example, it has become increasingly difficult for real estate debt investors in certain circumstances to receive full transparency with respect to underlying investments because transactions are often effectuated on an indirect basis through pools or conduit vehicles rather than directly with the borrower. Any such changes in loan structures or market terms may make it more difficult for us to monitor and evaluate investments.
The operating and financial risks of issuers and the underlying default risk across capital structures may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our securities investments involve credit or default risk, which is the risk that an issuer or borrower will be unable to make principal and interest payments on its outstanding debt when due. The risk of default and losses on real estate-related debt instruments will be affected by a number of factors, including global, regional and local economic conditions, interest rates, the commercial real estate market in general, an issuer’s equity and the financial circumstances of the issuer, as well as general economic conditions. Such default risk will be heightened to the extent we make relatively junior investments in an issuer’s capital structure since such investments are structurally subordinate to more senior tranches in such issuer’s capital structure, and our overall returns would be adversely affected to the extent one or more issuers is unable to meet its debt payment obligations when due. To the extent we hold an equity or “mezzanine” interest in any issuer that is unable to meet its debt payment obligations, such equity or mezzanine interest could become subordinated to the rights of such issuer’s creditors in a bankruptcy. See “—We may invest in subordinated debt, which is subject to greater credit risk than senior debt” below. Furthermore, the financial performance of one or more issuers could deteriorate as a result of, among other things, adverse developments in their businesses, changes in the competitive environment or an economic downturn. As a result, underlying properties or issuers that we expected to be stable may operate, or expect to operate, at a loss or have significant fluctuations in ongoing operating results, may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress and subject our investments to additional risk of loss and default.
We may invest in commercial mortgage loans which are non-recourse in nature and include limited options for financial recovery in the event of default; an event of default may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may invest from time to time in commercial mortgage loans, including mezzanine loans andB-notes, which are secured by properties and are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure and risks of loss. Commercial real estate loans are generally not fully amortizing, which means that they may have a significant principal balance or balloon payment due on maturity. Full satisfaction of the balloon payment by a commercial borrower is heavily dependent on the availability of subsequent financing or a functioning sales market, as well as other factors such as the value of the property, the level of prevailing mortgage rates, the borrower’s equity in the property and the financial condition and operating history of the property and the borrower. In certain situations, and during periods of credit distress, the unavailability of real estate financing may lead to default by a commercial borrower. In addition, in the absence of any such takeout financing, the ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property will depend upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Furthermore, we may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in commercial mortgage loans, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to publicly traded securities.
Commercial mortgage loans are usually nonrecourse in nature. Therefore, if a commercial borrower defaults on the commercial mortgage loan, then the options for financial recovery are limited. To the extent the underlying
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default rates with respect to the pool or tranche of commercial real estate loans in which we directly or indirectly invest increase, the performance of our investments related thereto may be adversely affected. Default rates and losses on commercial mortgage loans will be affected by a number of factors, including global, regional and local economic conditions in the area where the mortgage properties are located, the borrower’s equity in the mortgage property and the financial circumstances of the borrower. A continued decline in specific commercial real estate markets and property valuations may result in higher delinquencies and defaults and potentially foreclosures. In the event of default, the lender will have no right to assets beyond collateral attached to the commercial mortgage loan. The overall level of commercial mortgage loan defaults remains significant and market values of the underlying commercial real estate remain distressed in many cases. It has also become increasingly difficult for lenders to dispose of foreclosed commercial real estate without incurring substantial investment losses, ultimately leading to a decline in the value of such investments.
In the event of any default under a mortgage or real estate loan held directly by us, we will bear a risk of loss of principal to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the mortgage or real estate loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability. In the event of the bankruptcy of a mortgage or real estate loan borrower, the mortgage or real estate loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the mortgage or real estate loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee ordebtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law. Additionally, in the event of a default under any senior debt, the junior or subordinate lender generally forecloses on the equity, purchases the senior debt or negotiates a forbearance or restructuring arrangement with the senior lender in order to preserve its collateral.
We may invest in subordinated debt, which is subject to greater credit risk than senior debt.
We may from time to time invest in debt instruments, including junior tranches of CMBS and “mezzanine” or junior mortgage loans (e.g.,B-Notes), that are subordinated in an issuer’s capital structure. To the extent we invest in subordinated debt of an issuer’s capital structure or subordinated CMBS bonds, such investments and our remedies with respect thereto, including the ability to foreclose on any collateral securing such investments, will be subject to the rights of any senior creditors and, to the extent applicable, contractual inter-creditor or participation agreement provisions.
Investments in subordinated debt involve greater credit risk of default than the senior classes of the issue or series. Subordinated tranches of CMBS or other investments absorb losses from default before other more senior tranches of CMBS to which it is subordinate are put at risk. In addition, mezzanine loans are not secured by interests in the underlying commercial properties. As a result, to the extent we invest in subordinate debt instruments (including CMBS), we would potentially receive payments or interest distributions after, and must bear the effects of losses or defaults on the senior debt (including underlying mortgage loans, senior mezzanine debt or senior CMBS bonds) before, the holders of other more senior tranches of debt instruments with respect to such issuer.
B-Notes and A/B Structures may pose additional risks that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may invest inB-notes, which investments are subordinate to theA-note portion of the same loan (which we would not expect to hold). In addition to the risks described above, certain additional risks apply toB-note investments, including those described herein. TheB-note portion of a loan is typically small relative to the overall loan, and is in the first loss position. As a means to protect against the holder of theA-note from taking certain actions or, receiving certain benefits to the detriment of the holder of theB-note, the holder of theB-note often (but not always) has the right to purchase theA-note from its holder. If available, this right may not be meaningful to us. For example, we may not have the capital available to protect ourB-note interest or purchasing theA-note may alter our overall portfolio and risk/return profile to the detriment of our stockholders.
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Certain of our investments may have additional capital requirements.
Certain of our investments, including those that may be in a development phase, if any, are expected to require additional financing to satisfy their working capital requirements or development strategies. The amount of such additional financing needed will depend upon the maturity and objectives of the particular asset, which may be an unfavorable price at such time. Each round of financing (whether from us or other investors) is typically intended to provide enough capital to reach the next major milestone in an asset’s life-cycle. If the funds provided are not sufficient, additional capital may be required to be raised at a price unfavorable to the existing investors, including us. In addition, we may make additional debt and equity investments or exercise warrants, options, convertible securities or other rights that were acquired in the initial investment in such portfolio company in order to preserve our proportionate ownership when a subsequent financing is planned, or to protect our investment when such portfolio company’s performance does not meet expectations. The availability of capital is generally a function of capital market conditions that are beyond the control of us or any portfolio company. There can be no assurance that we or any portfolio company will be able to predict accurately the future capital requirements necessary for success or that additional funds will be available from any source. Failure to provide sufficient additional capital with respect to an investment could adversely affect our performance.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate-Related Securities
We may invest in high-yield securities which are generally subject to more risk than higher rated securities.
Debt securities that are, at the time of purchase, rated below investment grade (below Baa by Moody’s and below BBB by S&P and Fitch), an equivalent rating assigned by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or unrated but judged by the Advisor to be of comparable quality are commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds.”
Investments in high-yield securities generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk, including the possibility of issuer default and bankruptcy. High-yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade category also may be considered to possess some speculative characteristics by certain rating agencies. In addition, analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high-yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality securities.
High-yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than investment grade securities. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in high yield security prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of an issuer to make principal and interest payments on its debt obligations. If an issuer of high yield securities defaults, in addition to riskingnon-payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, we may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The market prices of high-yield securities structured aszero-coupon,step-up orpayment-in-kind securities will normally be affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore tend to be more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest currently and in cash.
The secondary market on which high-yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for investment grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which we could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the NAV of our shares. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities, especially in a thinly-traded market. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for investment grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available. During periods of thin trading in these markets, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly and we may have greater difficulty selling our portfolio
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securities. We will be more dependent on the Advisor’s research and analysis when investing in high-yield securities.
Some of our securities investments may become distressed, which securities would have a high risk of default and may be illiquid.
While it is generally anticipated that our real estate-related investments will focus primarily on investments innon-distressed CMBS and other debt investments (based on our belief that there is not a low likelihood of repayment), our investments may become distressed following our acquisition thereof. During an economic downturn or recession, securities of financially troubled or operationally troubled issuers are more likely to go into default than securities of other issuers. Securities of financially troubled issuers and operationally troubled issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of companies not experiencing financial difficulties. The market prices of such securities are subject to erratic and abrupt market movements and the spread between bid and asked prices may be greater than normally expected. Investment in the securities of financially troubled issuers and operationally troubled issuers involves a high degree of credit and market risk. There is no assurance that the Advisor will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing such investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action.
These financial difficulties may never be overcome and may cause issuers to become subject to bankruptcy or other similar administrative proceedings. There is a possibility that we may incur substantial or total losses on our investments and in certain circumstances, subject us to certain additional potential liabilities that may exceed the value of our original investment therein. For example, under certain circumstances, a lender who has inappropriately exercised control over the management and policies of a debtor may have its claims subordinated or disallowed or may be found liable for damages suffered by parties as a result of such actions. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to our investments, we may lose our entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than our original investment and may be required to accept different terms, including payment over an extended period of time. In addition, under certain circumstances payments to us may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, preferential payment, or similar transactions under applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. Furthermore, bankruptcy laws and similar laws applicable to administrative proceedings may delay our ability to realize on collateral for loan positions we held, or may adversely affect the economic terms and priority of such loans through doctrines such as equitable subordination or may result in a restructure of the debt through principles such as the “cramdown” provisions of the bankruptcy laws.
Certain risks associated with CMBS may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may invest a portion of our assets in pools or tranches of CMBS. The collateral underlying CMBS generally consists of commercial mortgages on real property that has a multifamily or commercial use, such as retail space, office buildings, warehouse property and hotels, and which from time to time may include assets or properties owned directly or indirectly by one or more Other Starwood Accounts. CMBS have been issued in a variety of issuances, with varying structures including senior and subordinated classes. The commercial mortgages underlying CMBS generally face the risks described above in “—We may invest in commercial mortgage loans which are nonrecourse in nature and include limited options for financial recovery in the event of default; an event of default may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.”
Concentrated CMBS investments may pose specific risks beyond the control of the Advisor that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Default risks with respect to CMBS investments may be further pronounced in the case of single-issuer CMBSs or CMBSs secured by a small or less diverse collateral pool. At any one time, a portfolio of CMBS may be backed by commercial mortgage loans disproportionately secured by properties in only a few states, regions or foreign countries. As a result, such investments may be more susceptible to geographic risks relating to such
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areas, including adverse economic conditions, declining home values, adverse events affecting industries located in such areas and other factors beyond the control of the Advisor relative to investments in multi-issuer CMBS or a pool of mortgage loans having more diverse property locations.
The quality of the CMBS is dependent on the credit quality and selection of the mortgages for each issuance.
CMBS are also affected by the quality of the credit extended. As a result, the quality of the CMBS is dependent upon the selection of the commercial mortgages for each issuance and the cash flow generated by the commercial real estate assets, as well as the relative diversification of the collateral pool underlying such CMBS and other factors such as adverse selection within a particular tranche or issuance.
There are certain risks associated with the insolvency of obligations backing CMBS and other investments.
The commercial real estate loans backing the CMBS and other investments may be subject to various laws enacted in the jurisdiction or state of the borrower for the protection of creditors. If an unpaid creditor files a lawsuit seeking payment, the court may invalidate all or part of the borrower’s debt as a fraudulent conveyance, subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future creditors of the borrower or recover amounts previously paid by the borrower in satisfaction of such indebtedness, based on certain tests for borrower insolvency and other facts and circumstances, which may vary by jurisdiction. There can be no assurance as to what standard a court would apply in order to determine whether the borrower was “insolvent” after giving effect to the incurrence of the indebtedness constituting the commercial mortgage backing the CMBS and other investments, or that regardless of the method of valuation, a court would not determine that the borrower was “insolvent” after giving effect to such incurrence. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of a borrower, payments made on such commercial mortgage loans could be subject to avoidance as a “preference” if made within a certain period of time (which may be as long as one year and one day) before insolvency.
There are certain risks associated with CMBS interest shortfalls.
Our CMBS investments may be subject to interest shortfalls due to interest collected from the underlying loans not being sufficient to pay accrued interest to all of the CMBS. Interest shortfalls to the CMBS trust will occur when the servicer does not advance full interest payments on defaulted loans. The servicer in a CMBS trust is required to advance monthly principal and interest payments due on a delinquent loan. Once a loan is delinquent for a period of time (generally 60 days), the servicer is required to obtain a new appraisal to determine the value of the property securing the loan. The servicer is only required to advance interest based on the lesser of the loan amount or 90%, generally, of the appraised value. Interest shortfalls occur when 90%, generally, of the appraised value is less than the loan amount and the servicer does not advance interest on the full loan amount. The resulting interest shortfalls impact interest payments on the most junior class in the trust first. As interest shortfalls increase, more senior classes may be impacted. Over time, senior classes may be reimbursed for accumulated shortfalls if the delinquent loans are resolved, but there is no guarantee that shortfalls will be collected. Interest shortfalls to the CMBS trust may also occur as a result of accumulated advances and expenses on defaulted loans. When a defaulted loan or foreclosed property is liquidated, the servicer will be reimbursed for accumulated advances and expenses prior to payments to CMBS bond holders. If proceeds are insufficient to reimburse the servicer or if a defaulted loan is modified and not foreclosed, the servicer is able to make a claim on interest payments that is senior to the bondholders to cover accumulated advances and expenses. If the claim is greater than interest collected on the loans, interest shortfalls could impact one or more bond classes in a CMBS trust until the servicer’s claim is satisfied.
Our CMBS investments face risks associated with extensions that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our CMBS and other investments may be subject to extension, resulting in the term of the securities being longer than expected. Extensions are affected by a number of factors, including the general availability of financing in
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the market, the value of the related mortgaged property, the borrower’s equity in the mortgaged property, the financial circumstances of the borrower, fluctuations in the business operated by the borrower on the mortgaged property, competition, general economic conditions and other factors. Such extensions may also be made without the Advisor’s consent.
There are certain risks associated with the servicers of commercial real estate loans underlying CMBS and other investments.
The exercise of remedies and successful realization of liquidation proceeds relating to commercial real estate loans underlying CMBS and other investments may be highly dependent on the performance of the servicer or special servicer. The servicer may not be appropriately staffed or compensated to immediately address issues or concerns with the underlying loans. Such servicers may exit the business and need to be replaced, which could have a negative impact on the portfolio due to lack of focus during a transition. Special servicers frequently are affiliated with investors who have purchased the most subordinate bond classes, and certain servicing actions, such as a loan extension instead of forcing a borrower pay off, may benefit the subordinate bond classes more so than the senior bonds. While servicers are obligated to service the portfolio subject to a servicing standard and maximize the present value of the loans for all bond classes, servicers with an affiliate investment in the CMBS or other investments may have a conflict of interest. There may be a limited number of special servicers available, particularly those which do not have conflicts of interest. In addition, to the extent any such servicers fail to effectively perform their obligations pursuant to the applicable servicing agreements, such failure may adversely affect our investments.
We may invest in structured products that may include structural and legal risks.
Subject to our REIT qualification requirements, we may invest from time to time in structured products. These investments may include debt securities issued by a private investment fund that invests, on a leveraged basis, in bank loans, high-yield debt or other asset groups, certificates issued by a structured investment vehicle that holds pools of commercial mortgage loans, as well as MBS credit default swaps (e.g., CMBX). Our investments in structured products will be subject to a number of risks, including risks related to the fact that the structured products will be leveraged, and other structural and legal risks related thereto. Many structured products contain covenants designed to protect the providers of debt financing to such structured products. A failure to satisfy those covenants could result in the untimely liquidation of the structured product and a complete loss of our investment therein. In addition, if the particular structured product is invested in a security in which we are also invested, this would tend to increase our overall exposure to the credit of the issuer of such securities, at least on an absolute, if not on a relative basis. The value of an investment in a structured product will depend on the investment performance of the assets in which the structured product invests and will, therefore, be subject to all of the risks associated with an investment in those assets. These risks include the possibility of a default by, or bankruptcy of, the issuers of such assets or a claim that the pledging of collateral to secure any such asset constituted a fraudulent conveyance or preferential transfer that can be subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuer of such asset or nullified under applicable law.
We may face risks related to our investments in collateralized debt obligations.
We may also invest from time to time in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). CDOs include, among other things, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. CDOs may charge a management fee and administrative expenses. For CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CLO trust typically has higher ratings and
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lower yields than the underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults and aversion to CLO securities as a class. The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral and the class of the CDO in which we invest.
Normally, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, certain investments in CDOs may be characterized as illiquid securities. Moreover, if the underlying mortgage portfolio has been overvalued by the originator, or if the values subsequently decline and, as a result, less collateral value is available to satisfy interest and principal payments and any other fees in connection with the trust or other conduit arrangement for such securities, we may incur significant losses. Also, with respect to the CLOs and CDOs in which we may invest, control over the related underlying loans will be exercised through a special servicer or collateral manager designated by a “directing certificate holder” or a “controlling class representative,” or otherwise pursuant to the related securitization documents. We may acquire classes of CLOs or CDOs for which we may not have the right to appoint the directing certificate holder or otherwise direct the special servicing or collateral management. With respect to the management and servicing of those loans, the related special servicer or collateral manager may take actions that could adversely affect our interests. In addition to the risks associated with debt instruments (e.g., interest rate risk and credit risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that we may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
We may invest in real estate-related equity, which is subordinate to any indebtedness, but involves different rights.
We may invest from time to time innon-controlling equity positions and other real estate-related interests. Preferred equity investments are subordinate to any indebtedness, but senior to the owners’ common equity. Preferred equity investments typically pay a dividend rather than interest payments and often have the right for such dividends to accrue if there is insufficient cash flow to pay currently. These interests are not secured by the underlying real estate, but upon the occurrence of a default, the preferred equity provider typically has the right to effectuate a change of control with respect to the ownership of the property.
We may invest in equity of other REITs that invest in real estate debt as one of their core businesses and other real estate-related companies, which subjects us to certain risks including those risks associated with an investment in our own common stock.
REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of projects. REITs may be subject to management fees and other expenses, and so when we invest in REITs we will bear our proportionate share of the costs of the REITs’ operations. Investing in REITs and real estate-related companies involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. The market value of REIT shares and the ability of the REIT to distribute income may be adversely affected by several factors, including the risks described herein that relate to an investment in our common stock.
REITs that invest primarily in real estate debt are subject to the risks of the real estate debt market and, more generally, the real estate market and securities market. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risk. Rising interest rates may cause REIT investors to demand a higher annual yield, which may, in turn, cause a decline in the market price of the equity securities issued by a REIT.
Investing in certain REITs and real estate-related companies, which often have small market capitalizations, may also involve the same risks as investing in other small capitalization companies. REITs and real estate-related
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companies may have limited financial resources and their securities may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities.
We will face “spread widening” risk related to our investment in securities.
For reasons not necessarily attributable to any of the risks set forth herein (for example, supply/demand imbalances or other market forces), the market spreads of the securities in which we invest may increase substantially causing the securities prices to fall. It may not be possible to predict, or to hedge against, such “spread widening” risk. In addition,mark-to-market accounting of our investments will have an interim effect on the reported value prior to realization of an investment.
We will face risks associated with hedging transactions.
Subject to REIT qualification requirements, we may utilize a wide variety of derivative financial instruments for risk management purposes, the use of which is a highly specialized activity that may entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Any such hedging transactions may not be effective in mitigating risk in all market conditions or against all types of risk (including unidentified or unanticipated risks), thereby resulting in losses to us. Engaging in hedging transactions may result in a poorer overall performance for us than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transaction, and the Advisor may not be able to effectively hedge against, or accurately anticipate, certain risks that may adversely affect our investment portfolio. In addition, our investment portfolio will always be exposed to certain risks that cannot be fully or effectively hedged, such as credit risk relating both to particular securities and counterparties. See “—We may invest in derivatives, which involve numerous risks” below.
We may invest in derivatives, which involve numerous risks.
Subject to REIT qualification requirements, we may enter into derivatives transactions including, but not limited to, options contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps and other swap agreements for investment, hedging or leverage purposes. Our use of derivative instruments may be particularly speculative and involves investment risks and transaction costs to which we would not be subject absent the use of these instruments, and use of derivatives generally involves leverage in the sense that the investment exposure created by the derivatives may be significantly greater than our initial investment in the derivative. Leverage magnifies investment, market and certain other risks. Thus, the use of derivatives may result in losses in excess of principal and greater than if they had not been used. Our ability to successfully use derivative investments depends on the skills of the Advisor. The skills needed to employ derivatives strategies are different from those needed to select portfolio investments and, in connection with such strategies, the Advisor must make predictions with respect to market conditions, liquidity, market values, interest rates or other applicable factors, which may be inaccurate. The use of derivative investments may require us to sell or purchase portfolio investments at inopportune times or for prices below or above the current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation we can realize on an investment or may cause us to hold a security that we might otherwise want to sell. We will also be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to our derivatives contracts (whether a clearing corporation in the case of exchange-traded instruments or another third party in the case ofover-the-counter instruments). In addition, the use of derivatives will be subject to additional unique risks associated with such instruments including a lack of sufficient asset correlation, heightened volatility in reference to interest rates or prices of reference instruments and duration/term mismatch, each of which may create additional risk of loss.
Failure to obtain and maintain an exemption from being regulated as a commodity pool operator could subject us to additional regulation and compliance requirements that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Registration with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a “commodity pool operator” or any change in our operations necessary to maintain our ability to rely upon the exemption from
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being regulated as a commodity pool operator could adversely affect our ability to implement our investment program, conduct our operations or achieve our objectives and subject us to certain additional costs, expenses and administrative burdens. Furthermore, any determination by us to cease or to limit investing in interests which may be treated as “commodity interests” in order to comply with the regulations of the CFTC may have a material adverse effect on our ability to implement our investment objectives and to hedge risks associated with our operations.
We will face risks associated with short sales.
Our use of short sales for investment or risk management purposes subjects us to risks associated with selling short. We may engage in short sales where we do not own or have the right to acquire the security sold short at no additional cost. Our loss on a short sale theoretically could be unlimited in a case where we are unable, for whatever reason, to close out a short position.
Our short selling strategies may limit our ability to benefit from increases in the markets. Short selling also involves a form of financial leverage that may exaggerate any losses. Also, there is the risk that the counterparty to a short sale may fail to honor its contractual terms, causing a loss to us. Finally, SEC, FINRA or other regulations relating to short selling may restrict our ability to engage in short selling.
We may make open market purchases or invest in publicly traded securities.
Although not anticipated to be a meaningful component of our investment strategy, we have the ability to invest in securities that are publicly traded and are, therefore, subject to the risks inherent in investing in public securities. When investing in public securities, we may be unable to obtain financial covenants or other contractual rights, including management rights that we might otherwise be able to obtain in making privately negotiated investments. Moreover, we may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in public securities, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to privately negotiated investments. Furthermore, we may be limited in our ability to make investments, and to sell existing investments, in public securities because Starwood Capital or its affiliates may be deemed to have material,non-public information regarding the issuers of those securities or as a result of other internal policies. The inability to sell public securities in these circumstances could materially adversely affect the investment results. In addition, an investment may be sold by us to a public company where the consideration received is a combination of cash and stock of the public company, which may, depending on the securities laws of the relevant jurisdiction, be subject tolock-up periods.
We may incur contingent liabilities in connection with the disposition of investments.
In connection with the disposition of an investment, we may be required to make certain representations about the business, financial affairs and other aspects (such as environmental, property, tax, insurance, and litigation) of such investment typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations are inaccurate or with respect to certain potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in the incurrence of contingent liabilities for which we may establish reserves or escrow accounts.
Political changes may affect the real estate-related securities markets.
The current regulatory environment in the United States may be impacted by future legislative developments, such as amendments to key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. On February 3, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the administration to review U.S. financial laws and regulations in order to determine their consistency with a set of core principles identified in the order. Future changes may include certain deregulatory measures for the U.S. financial services industry, including changes to Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Volcker Rule and credit risk retention requirements, among other areas.
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Risks Related to Debt Financing
We will incur mortgage indebtedness and other borrowings, which may increase our business risks, could hinder our ability to make distributions and could decrease the value of your investment.
The acquisition of investment properties may be financed in substantial part by borrowing, which increases our exposure to loss. Under our charter, we have a limitation that precludes us from borrowing in excess of 300% of our net assets, which approximates borrowing 75% of the cost of our investments (unless a majority of our independent directors approves any borrowing in excess of the limit and we disclose the justification for doing so to our stockholders), but such restriction does not restrict the amount of indebtedness we may incur with respect to any single investment. Our target leverage ratio after ourramp-up period is approximately 50% to 65% of our gross real estate assets (measured using the greater of fair market value and purchase price, including equity in our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities), inclusive of property-level and entity-level debt net of cash, but excluding debt on our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities portfolios. See “Investment Objectives and Strategies—Borrowing Policies.” The use of leverage involves a high degree of financial risk and will increase the exposure of the investments to adverse economic factors such as rising interest rates, downturns in the economy or deteriorations in the condition of the investments. Principal and interest payments on indebtedness (including mortgages having “balloon” payments) will have to be made regardless of the sufficiency of cash flow from the properties. Our investments will be impaired by a smaller decline in the value of the properties than is the case where properties are owned with a proportionately smaller amount of debt.
We may incur or increase our mortgage debt by obtaining loans secured by a portfolio of some or all of the real estate properties acquired. Depending on the level of leverage and decline in value, if mortgage payments are not made when due, one or more of the properties may be lost (and our investment therein rendered valueless) as a result of foreclosure by the mortgagee(s). A foreclosure may also have substantial adverse tax consequences for us.
Many of these same issues also apply to credit facilities which are expected to be in place at various times as well. For example, the loan documents for such facilities may include various coverage ratios, the continued compliance with which may not be completely within our control. If such coverage ratios are not met, the lenders under such credit facilities may declare any unfunded commitments to be terminated and declare any amounts outstanding to be due and payable.
Although borrowings by us have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed our cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than our cost of funds. As a result, the possibilities of profit and loss are increased. Borrowing money to purchase properties provides us with the advantages of leverage, but exposes us to greater market risks and higher current expenses.
If we draw on a line of credit to fund repurchases or for any other reason, our financial leverage ratio could increase beyond our target.
We may seek to obtain a line of credit in an effort to provide for a ready source of liquidity for any business purpose, including to fund repurchases of shares of our common stock in the event that repurchase requests exceed our operating cash flow and net proceeds from our continuous offering. There can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain a line of credit on financially reasonable terms. In addition, we may not be able to obtain a line of credit of an appropriate size for our business until such time as we have a substantial portfolio, or at all. If we borrow under a line of credit to fund repurchases of shares of our common stock, our financial leverage will increase and may exceed our target leverage ratio. Our leverage may remain at the higher level until we receive additional net proceeds from our continuous offering or generate sufficient operating cash flow or proceeds from asset sales to repay outstanding indebtedness. We may utilize a line of credit for the benefit of Other Starwood Accounts which may invest alongside us in one or more investments. In such circumstances, we generally intend to disclose such arrangements as part of our reporting and enter into arrangements to cause any
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Other Starwood Accounts to bear (or reimburse us for) their pro rata share of any costs and expenses (including interest payments) allocable to such extensions of credit.
Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our loan payments and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Interest we pay on our loan obligations will reduce cash available for distributions. If we obtain variable rate loans, increases in interest rates would increase our interest costs, which would reduce our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to you. In addition, if we need to repay existing loans during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments at times that may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments. Finally, rising interest rates may increase the costs associated with our short-term loan obligations secured by assets with a longer expected hold period, thereby reducing our cash flows.
Volatility in the financial markets and challenging economic conditions could adversely affect our ability to secure debt financing on attractive terms and our ability to service any future indebtedness that we may incur.
The volatility of the global credit markets has made it more difficult for financial sponsors like Starwood Capital to obtain favorable financing for investments. A widening of credit spreads, coupled with the extreme volatility of the global debt markets and a rise in interest rates, has dramatically reduced investor demand for high yield debt and senior bank debt, which in turn has led some investment banks and other lenders to be unwilling to finance new investments or to only offer committed financing for these investments on unattractive terms. If the overall cost of borrowing increases, either by increases in the index rates or by increases in lender spreads, the increased costs may result in future acquisitions generating lower overall economic returns and potentially reducing future cash flow available for distribution. Disruptions in the debt markets negatively impact our ability to borrow monies to finance the purchase of, or other activities related to, real estate assets. If we are unable to borrow monies on terms and conditions that we find acceptable, we likely will have to reduce the number of properties we can purchase, and the return on the properties we do purchase may be lower. In addition, we may find it difficult, costly or impossible to refinance indebtedness that is maturing. Moreover, to the extent that such marketplace events are not temporary and continue, they may have an adverse impact on the availability of credit to businesses generally and could lead to an overall weakening of the U.S. economy.
Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to obtain additional loans. Loan documents we enter into may contain covenants that limit our ability to further mortgage or dispose of the property or discontinue insurance coverage. In addition, loan documents may limit our ability to enter into or terminate certain operating or lease agreements related to the property. These or other limitations may adversely affect our flexibility and our ability to make distributions to you and the value of your investment.
If we enter into financing arrangements involving balloon payment obligations, it may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Some of our financing arrangements may require us to make alump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. Our ability to make a balloon payment is uncertain and may depend upon our ability to obtain replacement financing or our ability to sell particular properties. At the time the balloon payment is due, we may or may not be able to refinance the balloon payment on terms as favorable as the original loan or sell the particular property at a price sufficient to make the balloon payment. Such a refinancing would be dependent upon interest rates and lenders’ policies at the time of refinancing, economic conditions in general and the value of the underlying properties in particular. The effect of a refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the projected timing of disposition of our assets.
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Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Subject to any limitations required to maintain qualification as a REIT, we may seek to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements, such as interest rate cap or collar agreements and interest rate swap agreements. These agreements involve risks, such as the risk that counterparties may fail to honor their obligations under these arrangements and that these arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. These interest rate hedging arrangements may create additional assets or liabilities from time to time that may be held or liquidated separately from the underlying property or loan for which they were originally established. Hedging may reduce the overall returns on our investments. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to our Relationship with the Advisor and the Dealer Manager
We depend on the Advisor to select our investments and otherwise conduct our business, and any material adverse change in its financial condition or our relationship with the Advisor could have a material adverse effect on our business and ability to achieve our investment objectives.
Our success is dependent upon our relationship with, and the performance of, the Advisor in the acquisition and management of our real estate portfolio and our corporate operations. The Advisor may suffer or become distracted by adverse financial or operational problems in connection with Starwood Capital’s business and activities unrelated to us and over which we have no control. Should the Advisor fail to allocate sufficient resources to perform its responsibilities to us for any reason, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives or to pay distributions to our stockholders.
The termination or replacement of the Advisor could trigger a repayment event under our mortgage loans for some of our properties and the credit agreement governing any line of credit we obtain.
Lenders for certain of our properties may request provisions in the mortgage loan documentation that would make the termination or replacement of the Advisor an event requiring the immediate repayment of the full outstanding balance of the loan. If we elect to obtain a line of credit and are able to do so, the termination or replacement of the Advisor could trigger repayment of outstanding amounts under the credit agreement governing our line of credit. If a repayment event occurs with respect to any of our properties, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
The Advisor’s inability to retain the services of key real estate professionals, including Mr. Sternlicht who serves on the investment committee of our Advisor, could hurt our performance.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of certain key real estate professionals employed by the Advisor, including Mr. Sternlicht who serves on the investment committee of our Advisor, each of whom would be difficult to replace. There is ever-increasing competition among alternative asset firms, financial institutions, private equity firms, investment advisors, investment managers, real estate investment companies, REITs and other industry participants for hiring and retaining qualified investment professionals and there can be no assurance that such professionals will continue to be associated with us or the Advisor, particularly in light of our perpetual-life nature, or that replacements will perform well. Neither we nor the Advisor have employment agreements with these individuals and they may not remain associated with us. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us, our operating results could suffer. Our future success depends, in large part, upon the Advisor’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. If the Advisor loses or is unable to obtain the services of highly skilled professionals, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered.
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The success of this offering is dependent, in part, on the ability of the Dealer Manager to retain key employees and to successfully build and maintain a network of licensed broker-dealers.
The dealer manager for this offering is Starwood Capital, L.L.C. The success of this offering and our ability to implement our business strategy is dependent upon the ability of our Dealer Manager to retain key employees and to build and maintain a network of licensed securities broker-dealers and other agents. If the Dealer Manager is unable to retain qualified employees or build and maintain a sufficient network of participating broker-dealers to distribute shares in this offering, we may not be able to raise adequate proceeds through this offering to implement our investment strategy. In addition, the Dealer Manager may serve as dealer manager for other issuers. As a result, the Dealer Manager may experience conflicts of interest in allocating its time between this offering and such other issuers, which could adversely affect our ability to raise adequate proceeds through this offering and implement our investment strategy. Further, the participating broker-dealers retained by the Dealer Manager may have numerous competing investment products, some with similar or identical investment strategies and areas of focus as us, which they may elect to emphasize to their retail clients.
You will not have the benefit of an independent due diligence review of us by the Dealer Manager in connection with this offering.
Because the Advisor and the Dealer Manager are affiliates of Starwood Capital, you will not have the benefit of an independent due diligence review and investigation of the type normally performed by an unaffiliated, independent underwriter and its counsel in connection with a securities offering. Accordingly, unless your financial advisor is affiliated with a broker-dealer that conducts an independent due diligence review and investigation of the terms of this offering, you will not have the benefit of such a review.
The fees we pay in connection with this offering and the agreements entered into with Starwood Capital and its affiliates were not determined on anarm’s-length basis and therefore may not be on the same terms we could achieve from a third party.
The compensation paid to the Advisor, Dealer Manager and other Starwood Capital affiliates for services they provide us was not determined on anarm’s-length basis. All service agreements, contracts or arrangements between or among Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor and us, were not negotiated atarm’s-length. Such agreements include our Advisory Agreement, the Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement, our dealer manager agreement (the “Dealer Manager Agreement”), and any property management and other agreements we may enter into with Starwood Capital affiliates from time to time.
We do not own the “Starwood” name, but we may use it as part of our corporate name pursuant to a trademark license agreement with an affiliate of our sponsor. Use of the name by other parties or the termination of our trademark license agreement may harm our business.
We have entered into a trademark license agreement (“Trademark License Agreement”) with an affiliate of our sponsor pursuant to which it has granted us a fullypaid-up, royalty-free,non-exclusive,non-transferable license to use the name “Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.” Under this agreement, we have a right to use this name for so long as the Advisor (or another affiliate of Starwood Capital) serves as our advisor (or another advisory entity) and the Advisor remains an affiliate of Starwood Capital under the Trademark License Agreement. The Trademark License Agreement may also be earlier terminated by either party as a result of certain breaches or for convenience upon 90 days’ prior written notice, provided that upon notification of such termination by us, Starwood Capital may elect to effect termination of the Trademark License Agreement immediately at any time after 30 days from the date of such notification. Starwood Capital and its affiliates will retain the right to continue using the “Starwood” name. We will further be unable to preclude Starwood Capital from licensing or transferring the ownership of the “Starwood” name to third parties, some of whom may compete with us. Consequently, we will be unable to prevent any damage to goodwill that may occur as a result of the activities of Starwood Capital or others. Furthermore, in the event that the Trademark License Agreement is terminated, we will be required to, among other things, change our name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the market place, damage any goodwill we may have generated and otherwise harm our business.
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Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Various potential and actual conflicts of interest will arise, and these conflicts may not be identified or resolved in a manner favorable to us.
Various potential and actual conflicts of interest will arise as a result of our overall investment activities and the overall investment activities of Starwood Capital, the Dealer Manager, the Advisor and their affiliates. The following risk factors enumerate certain but not all potential conflicts of interest that should be carefully evaluated before making an investment in us. Starwood Capital and Starwood Capital personnel may in the future engage in further activities that may result in additional conflicts of interest not addressed below. If any matter arises that we and our affiliates (including the Advisor) determine in our good faith judgment constitutes an actual conflict of interest, we and our affiliates (including the Advisor) may take such action as we determine in good faith may be necessary or appropriate to ameliorate the conflict. Transactions between us and Starwood Capital or its affiliates will require approval by our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. There can be no assurance that our board of directors or Starwood Capital will identify or resolve all conflicts of interest in a manner that is favorable to us.
The Advisor will face a conflict of interest because the fees it will receive for services performed are based in part on our NAV, which the Advisor is ultimately responsible for determining.
The Advisor will be paid a management fee for its services based on our NAV, which will be calculated by The Bank of New York Mellon, our fund administrator, based on valuations provided by the Advisor. In addition, the distributions to be received by the Special Limited Partner with respect to its performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership will be based in part upon the Operating Partnership’s net assets (which is a component of our NAV). The calculation of our NAV includes certain subjective judgments with respect to estimating, for example, the value of our portfolio and our accrued expenses, net portfolio income and liabilities, and therefore, our NAV may not correspond to realizable value upon a sale of those assets. The Advisor may benefit by us retaining ownership of our assets at times when our stockholders may be better served by the sale or disposition of our assets in order to avoid a reduction in our NAV. If our NAV is calculated in a way that is not reflective of our actual NAV, then the purchase price of shares of our common stock or the price paid for the repurchase of your shares of common stock on a given date may not accurately reflect the value of our portfolio, and your shares may be worth less than the purchase price or more than the repurchase price.
The Advisor’s management fee and the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation interest may not create proper incentives or may induce the Advisor and its affiliates to make certain investments, including speculative investments that increase the risk of our real estate portfolio.
We will pay the Advisor a management fee regardless of the performance of our portfolio. The Advisor’s entitlement to a management fee, which is not based upon performance metrics or goals, might reduce its incentive to devote its time and effort to seeking investments that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns for our portfolio. We may be required to pay the Advisor a management fee in a particular period despite experiencing a net loss or a decline in the value of our portfolio during that period.
The existence of the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation interest in our Operating Partnership, which is based on our total distributions plus the change in NAV per share, may create an incentive for the Advisor to make riskier or more speculative investments on our behalf than it would otherwise make in the absence of such performance-based compensation. In addition, the change in NAV per share will be based on the value of our investments on the applicable measurement dates and not on realized gains or losses. As a result, the performance participation interest may receive distributions based on unrealized gains in certain assets at the time of such distributions and such gains may not be realized when those assets are eventually disposed of.
Because the management fee and performance participation are based on our NAV, the Advisor may also be motivated to accelerate acquisitions in order to increase NAV or, similarly, delay or curtail repurchases to
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maintain a higher NAV, which would, in each case, increase amounts payable to the Advisor and the Special Limited Partner.
Starwood Capital personnel work on other projects and conflicts may arise in the allocation of personnel between us and other projects.
The Advisor and its affiliates will devote such time as shall be necessary to conduct our business affairs in an appropriate manner. However, a core group of real estate professionals will devote substantially all of their business time not only to our activities but also to the activities of several other investment vehicles and any successor funds thereto (and their respective investments) and their related entities (which may include separate accounts, dedicated managed accounts and investment funds formed for specific geographical areas or investments). Consequently, conflicts are expected to arise in the allocation of personnel, and we may not receive the level of support and assistance that we otherwise might receive if we were internally managed. The Advisor and its affiliates are not restricted from entering into other investment advisory relationships or from engaging in other business activities.
Starwood Capital has implemented policies and procedures to address conflicts of interest across its various businesses, and these policies and procedures may reduce the synergies that we expect to draw on or otherwise reduce the opportunities available to us.
Starwood Capital and its affiliates are involved in a number of other businesses and activities, which may result in conflicts of interest or other obligations that are disadvantageous to us. Specified policies and procedures implemented by Starwood Capital to mitigate potential conflicts of interest and address certain regulatory requirements and contractual restrictions will from time to time reduce the synergies across Starwood Capital’s various businesses that we expect to draw on for purposes of pursuing attractive investment opportunities. Because Starwood Capital has many different asset management businesses, including a capital markets group, it is subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest, greater regulatory oversight and subject to more legal and contractual restrictions than that to which it would otherwise be subject if it had just one line of business. In addressing these conflicts and regulatory, legal and contractual requirements across its various businesses, Starwood has implemented certain policies and procedures (e.g., information walls) that reduce the positive synergies that we expect to utilize for purposes of finding attractive investments. For example, Starwood Capital will from time to time come into possession of material,non-public information with respect to companies in which its private equity business may be considering making an investment or companies that are clients of Starwood Capital. As a consequence, that information, which could be of benefit to us, might become restricted to those respective businesses and otherwise be unavailable to us. In addition, to the extent that Starwood Capital is in possession of material,non-public information or is otherwise restricted from trading in certain securities, we and the Advisor, as part of Starwood Capital, generally also will be deemed to be in possession of such information or otherwise restricted. This could reduce the investment opportunities available to us, prevent us from exiting an investment or otherwise limit our investment flexibility. Additionally, the terms of confidentiality or other agreements with or related to companies in which any Starwood Capital fund has or has considered making an investment or which is otherwise a client of Starwood Capital will from time to time restrict or otherwise limit our ability to make investments in or otherwise engage in businesses or activities competitive with such companies. Starwood Capital may enter into one or more strategic relationships, in certain regions or with respect to certain types of investments that, although intended to provide greater opportunities for us, may require us to share such opportunities or otherwise limit the amount of an opportunity we can otherwise take.
Starwood Capital and its affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including a broad range of activities relating to investments in the real estate industry, and have invested or committed billions of dollars in capital through various investment funds, managed accounts and other vehicles affiliated with Starwood Capital. In the ordinary course of their business activities, Starwood Capital and its affiliates may engage in activities where the interests of certain divisions of Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor, or the interests of their
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clients may conflict with the interests of our stockholders. Certain of these divisions and entities affiliated with the Advisor have or may have an investment strategy similar to ours and therefore may engage in competing activities with us. In particular, various Starwood Capital opportunistic and substantially stabilized real estate funds and other investment vehicles seek to invest in a broad range of real estate investments.
As part of its regular business, Starwood Capital provides a broad range of investment advisory and other businesses, which include the delivery of property management services in connection with hotel, retail and multifamily properties. In addition, Starwood Capital and its affiliates may provide services in the future beyond those currently provided. Our stockholders will not receive a benefit from the services provided to other investment vehicles or share in any of the fees generated by the provision of such services. Starwood Capital may have relationships with, render services to or engage in transactions with government agencies or issuers or owners of securities that are, or are eligible to be, our investment opportunities. As a result, employees of Starwood Capital may possess information relating to such issuers that is not known to our employees or the Advisor’s employees responsible for making investment decisions or for monitoring our investments and performing the other obligations under the Advisory Agreement. Those employees of Starwood Capital will not be obligated to share any such information with us or the Advisor and may be prohibited by law or contract from doing so.
In the regular course of its investment advisory business, Starwood Capital represents potential purchasers, sellers and other involved parties, including corporations, financial buyers, management, shareholders and institutions, with respect to assets that are suitable for investment by us. In such a case, Starwood Capital’s client would typically require Starwood Capital to act exclusively on its behalf, thereby precluding us from acquiring such assets. Starwood Capital will be under no obligation to decline any such engagements in order to make the investment opportunity available to us. In connection with its investment banking, capital markets, real estate advisory and other businesses, Starwood Capital may determine that there are conflicts of interest or come into possession of information that limits its ability to engage in potential real estate-related transactions. Our activities may be constrained as a result of these conflicts of interests and Starwood Capital personnel’s inability to use such information. For example, employees of Starwood Capital may be prohibited by law or contract from sharing information with Starwood Capital. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with Starwood Capital will be precluded from providing services related to our activities because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of Starwood Capital.
Starwood Capital has long-term relationships with a significant number of corporations and their senior management. In determining whether to invest in a particular transaction on our behalf, the Advisor will consider those relationships, which may result in certain transactions that the Advisor will not undertake on our behalf in view of such relationships. We may alsoco-invest with clients of Starwood Capital in particular properties, and the relationship with such clients could influence the decisions made by the Advisor with respect to such investments. Starwood Capital is under no obligation to decline any engagements or investments in order to make an investment opportunity available to us. We may be forced to sell or hold existing investments as a result of investment banking relationships or other relationships that Starwood Capital may have or transactions or investments Starwood Capital and its affiliates may make or have made. We may alsoco-invest with such clients of Starwood Capital in particular properties and the relationship with such clients could influence the decisions made by the Advisor with respect to such investments. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that all potentially suitable investment opportunities that come to the attention of Starwood Capital will be made available to us. See “—To the extent that Other Starwood Accounts have similar investment objectives, we may not be allocated certain opportunities or may share in certain opportunities in which lower relative returns may be allocated to us” below.
Starwood Capital may from time to time participate in underwriting or lending syndicates with respect to us or our subsidiaries or Other Starwood Accounts, or may otherwise be involved in the public offering or private placement of debt or equity securities issued by, or loan proceeds borrowed by us, or our subsidiaries. Such underwritings may be on a firm commitment basis or may be on an uncommitted “best efforts” basis. A
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Starwood Capital broker-dealer may act as the managing underwriter or a member of the underwriting syndicate and purchase securities from us or our subsidiaries. Starwood Capital may also, on our behalf or on behalf of other parties to a transaction involving us, effect transactions, including transactions in the secondary markets where it may nonetheless have a potential conflict of interest regarding us and the other parties to those transactions to the extent it receives commissions or other compensation from us and such other parties. Subject to applicable law, Starwood Capital may receive underwriting fees, discounts, placement commissions, loan modification or restructuring fees, servicing (including loan servicing) fees, advisory fees, lending arrangement, consulting, monitoring, commitment, syndication, origination, organizational, financing and divestment fees (or, in each case, rebates of any such fees, whether in the form of purchase price discounts or otherwise, even in cases where Starwood Capital or an Other Starwood Account or vehicle is purchasing debt) or other compensation with respect to the foregoing activities, which are not required to be shared with us or our stockholders. Starwood Capital may nonetheless have a potential conflict of interest regarding us and the other parties to those transactions to the extent it receives commissions, discounts, fees or such other compensation from such other parties. Our independent directors will approve any transactions in which a Starwood Capital broker-dealer acts as an underwriter, as broker for us, or as dealer, broker or advisor, on the other side of a transaction with us only where such directors believe in good faith that such transactions are appropriate for us, and our stockholders, by executing a Subscription Agreement for our shares, consent to all such transactions, along with the other transactions involving conflicts of interest described herein, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sales of securities for our account (particularly marketable securities) may be bunched or aggregated with orders for other accounts of Starwood Capital. It is frequently not possible to receive the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities sold, and the various prices may be averaged, which may be disadvantageous to us. Where Starwood Capital serves as underwriter with respect to securities held by us or any of our subsidiaries, we may be subject to a“lock-up” period following the offering under applicable regulations during which time our ability to sell any securities that we continue to hold is restricted. This may prejudice our ability to dispose of such securities at an opportune time.
Present and future activities of Starwood Capital and its affiliates (including the Advisor and the Dealer Manager) may also give rise to additional conflicts of interest relating to us and our investment activities. In the event that any such conflict of interest arises, we will attempt to resolve such conflicts in a fair and equitable manner. Investors should be aware that conflicts will not necessarily be resolved in favor of our interests.
Starwood engages various advisors and operating partners who mayco-invest alongside us, and there can be no assurance that such advisors and operating partners will continue to serve in such roles.
Starwood Capital engages and retains strategic advisors, consultants, senior advisors, executive advisors and other similar professionals who are not employees or affiliates of Starwood Capital and who may, from time to time, receive payments from, or allocations with respect to, portfolio entities (as well as from Starwood Capital or us). In such circumstances, such payments from, or allocations with respect to, us and our underlying assets will not, even if they have the effect of reducing any retainers or minimum amounts otherwise payable by Starwood Capital, be deemed paid to or received by Starwood Capital. These strategic advisors, senior advisors, consultants, executive advisors or other professionals may have the right or may be offered the ability toco-invest alongside us, including in those investments in which they are involved, or otherwise participate in equity plans for management of any such portfolio entity, which may have the effect of reducing the amount invested by us in any property. Additionally, and notwithstanding the foregoing, these senior advisors, consultants and other professionals as well as current and former chief executive officers of Starwood Capital portfolio entities, may be (or have the preferred right to be) investors in various Starwood Capital portfolio entities or Other Starwood Accounts. The nature of the relationship with each of the strategic advisors, consultants, executive advisors and other professionals and the amount of time devoted or required to be devoted by them varies considerably. In certain cases, they provide the Dealer Manager and the Advisor with industry-specific insights and feedback on investment themes, assist in transaction due diligence, make introductions to and provide reference checks on management teams. In other cases, they may take on more extensive roles and serve as executives or directors on the boards of various entities or contribute to the origination of new
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investment opportunities. In certain instances Starwood Capital may have formal arrangements with these senior advisors, executive advisors, consultants, management teams for operating platforms or other professionals (which may or may not be terminable upon notice by any party), and in other cases the relationships may be more informal. They may be compensated (including pursuant to retainers and expense reimbursement) from Starwood Capital, us or portfolio properties or otherwise uncompensated unless and until an engagement with a portfolio property develops. In certain cases, they have certain attributes of Starwood Capital “employees” (e.g., they may have dedicated offices at Starwood Capital, have a Starwood Capital email address, participate in general meetings and events for Starwood Capital personnel, work on Starwood Capital matters as their primary or sole business activity) even though they are not considered Starwood Capital employees, affiliates or personnel for purposes of the Dealer Manager Agreement, Advisory Agreement or the Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement. There can be no assurance that any of the senior advisors, consultants and other professionals will continue to serve in such roles or continue their arrangements with Starwood Capital, us and any portfolio properties.
We may purchase assets from or sell assets to the Advisor and its affiliates, and such transactions may cause conflicts of interest.
We may purchase assets from or sell assets to the Advisor and its affiliates or their clients. These purchases and sales may cause conflicts of interest, including with respect to the consideration offered and the obligations of such affiliates. The purchases and sales referred to in this paragraph will be subject to the approval of a majority of directors (including a majority of our independent directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction.
Certain Other Starwood Accounts have similar or overlapping investment objectives and guidelines, and we will not be allocated certain opportunities and may be allocated only opportunities with lower relative returns.
Through Other Starwood Accounts, Starwood Capital currently invests and plans to continue to invest third-party capital in a wide variety of investment opportunities in the United States and globally. There will be overlap of real property, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts. See “—Starwood Capital may raise or manage Other Starwood Accounts which could result in the reallocation of Starwood Capital personnel and the direction of potential investments to such Other Starwood Accounts” below. This overlap will from time to time create conflicts of interest. Additionally, in certain circumstances investment opportunities suitable for us will not be presented to us and there will be one or more investment opportunities where our participation is restricted.
With respect to Other Starwood Accounts with investment objectives or guidelines that overlap with ours but that do not have priority over us, investment opportunities will be allocated among us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts in accordance with Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures on a basis that the Advisor and its affiliates believe to be fair and reasonable in their sole discretion, which will either be rotational or on a co-invest basis subject to the following considerations: (i) any applicable investment objectives of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts (which, for us, includes our primary objective of providing current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield); (ii) the sourcing of the transaction; (iii) the size and nature of the investment; (iv) the relative amounts of capital available for investment by us and such Other Starwood Accounts; (v) the sector, geography/location, expected return profile, expected distribution rates, anticipated cash flows, expected stability or volatility of cash flows, leverage profile, risk profile, and other features of the applicable investment opportunity and its impact on portfolio concentration and diversification; (vi) avoiding allocation that could result in de minimis or odd-lot investments; (vii) any structural and operational differences between us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any applicable investment limitations (including, without limitation, exposure limits, hedging limits and diversification considerations) of us and such Other Starwood Accounts, investment limitations, parameters or contractual provisions of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts; (viii) the eligibility of us and such Other Starwood Accounts to make such investment under applicable laws; (ix) any other applicable tax, accounting, legal,
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regulatory compliance or operational considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor and its affiliates (including, without limitation, maintaining our qualification as a REIT and our status as a non-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act) (e.g., joint venture investments between us and an Other Starwood Account must be on the same terms and satisfy the restrictions of all participants, such as lowest leverage targeted by any participant); and (x) any other requirements contained in the corporate governance documents of us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates in good faith. Our board of directors (including our independent directors) has the duty to ensure that the allocation methodology described above is applied fairly to us.
Currently, one Other Starwood Account invests in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States, although its portfolio is currently limited to four shopping malls in the United States and it has completed its investment activity. As of September 30, 2018, this Other Starwood Account had approximately $1.0 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value).
Additionally, one Other Starwood Account, a separate account of approximately $300 million, invests primarily in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States and Western Europe. This Other Starwood Account’s portfolio currently consists of one hotel property and two office buildings in the United States and three office buildings in Western Europe. To the extent an investment satisfies the investment objectives of us and such Other Starwood Account on the same terms, such investment will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above; provided, however, that such Other Starwood Account generally will not participate inco-investments. As of December 31, 2018, the foregoing Other Starwood Account had approximately $18.4 million of unused capital commitments.
Furthermore, one Other Starwood Account, Starwood Property Trust, focuses primarily on originating, acquiring, financing and managing commercial mortgage loans, other commercial real estate debt investments and CMBS in both the United States and Europe. Starwood Property Trust has priority over us with respect to real estate-related debt investment opportunities. This priority will result in fewer real estate-related debt investment opportunities being made available to us.
In addition, in its property segment, Starwood Property Trust acquires (i) commercial properties subject to net leases and other similar equity investments that have the characteristics of real estate debt investments, or “debt like equity investments” and (ii) equity interests in stabilized commercial real estate properties. As of December 31, 2018, Starwood Property Trust’s portfolio (excluding VIE assets, at fair value) consisted of approximately $14.8 billion of assets (including approximately $2.8 billion in properties, net). To the extent that Starwood Property Trust seeks to invest in real estate equity investments, (i) Starwood Property Trust will have a priority over us with respect to debt-like equity investments, and (ii) we will have a priority over Starwood Property Trust with respect to any other real estate equity investments (single asset or portfolio acquisitions) where the total acquisition cost is less than or equal to $300 million. All other real estate equity investments in which Starwood Property Trust may invest will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above.
One Other Starwood Account, SEREF, focuses on originating, executing and servicing commercial real estate loans for institutional investors throughout Europe. SEREF has priority over us with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate. We do not expect to target the same commercial real estate loans as SEREF, but to the extent that we do, SEREF’s priority will result in fewer investment opportunities related to European real estate debt being made available to us.
Finally, the Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts invest in “opportunistic” real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities globally (which often are under-managed assets and with higher potential for equity appreciation) and have priority over us with respect to such investment opportunities. As of December 31, 2018, there were two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts that had priority over us. These two Select
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Opportunistic Starwood Accounts had an aggregate of $7.6 billion of unused investing capacity. The priority granted to these Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts will result in fewer investment opportunities being made available to us. These two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, which were not fully invested as of December 31, 2018, had an aggregate of $19.9 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value). Other than (i) the priority granted to Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, (ii) the priority granted to Starwood Property Trust with respect to real estate-related debt and debt-like equity investments and (iii) the priority granted to SEREF with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate, no Other Starwood Accounts have priority over us with respect to investment opportunities. However, Starwood Capital may in the future grant priority to additional Other Starwood Accounts.
While the Advisor will seek to manage potential conflicts of interest in a fair and reasonable manner (subject to the priority rights of the Starwood Property Trust and Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts described above) as required pursuant to our charter and the Advisory Agreement, the portfolio strategies employed by the Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates in managing the Other Starwood Accounts could conflict with the strategies employed by the Advisor in managing our business and may adversely affect the marketability, exit strategy, prices and availability of the properties, securities and instruments in which we invest. The Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates may also give advice to the Other Starwood Accounts that may differ from advice given to us even though their investment objectives or guidelines may be the same or similar to ours.
The amount of performance-based compensation charged and management fees paid by us may be less than or exceed the amount of performance-based compensation charged or management fees paid by Other Starwood Accounts. Such variation may create an incentive for Starwood Capital to allocate a greater percentage of an investment opportunity to us or such Other Starwood Accounts, as the case may be.
Our board of directors has adopted a resolution that renounces our interest or expectancy with respect to business opportunities and competitive activities.
Our board of directors has adopted a resolution that renounces our interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, business opportunities, and provides that none of Starwood Capital or its affiliates, our directors or any person our directors control must refrain from competing with us or present to us such business opportunities except under certain limited circumstances. Under this resolution Starwood Capital and its affiliates and our directors or any person our directors control would not be obligated to present to us opportunities unless those opportunities are expressly offered to such person in his or her capacity as a director or officer and intended exclusively for us or any of our subsidiaries, and those persons will be able to engage in competing activities without any restriction imposed as a result of Starwood Capital’s or its affiliates’ status as a stockholder or Starwood Capital’s affiliates’ status as our officers or directors.
We mayco-invest with Starwood Capital affiliates in real estate-related debt or real estate-related securities and such investments may be in different parts of the capital structure of an issuer and may otherwise involve conflicts of interest. When we hold investments in which Other Starwood Accounts have a different principal investment, conflicts of interest may arise between us and Other Starwood Accounts, and the Advisor may take actions that are adverse to us.
We mayco-invest with Other Starwood Accounts in investments that are suitable for both us and such Other Starwood Accounts. We and the Other Starwood Accounts may make or hold investments at different levels of an issuer’s capital structure, which may include us making one or more investments directly or indirectly relating to portfolio entities of Other Starwood Accounts and vice versa. To the extent we hold interests that are different (including with respect to their relative seniority) than those held by such Other Starwood Accounts, the Advisor and its affiliates may be presented with decisions when our interests and the interests of the Other Starwood Accounts are in conflict. In order to mitigate any such conflicts of interest, we may recuse ourselves from participating in any decisions relating or with respect to such securities held by such Other Starwood Accounts
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(notwithstanding that if such Other Starwood Accounts maintain voting rights with respect to the securities they hold) or, if we do not recuse ourselves, Starwood Capital may be required to take action where it will have conflicting loyalties between its duties to us and to such Other Starwood Accounts, which may adversely impact us.
Other Starwood Accounts may also participate in a separate tranche of a financing with respect to an issuer/borrower in which we have an interest or otherwise in different classes of such issuer’s securities. In connection with negotiating loans and bank financings in respect of our real estate-related transactions, from time to time Starwood Capital will obtain the right to participate on its own behalf in a portion of the financings with respect to such transactions. If we make or have an investment in a property in which an Other Starwood Account has a mezzanine or other debt investment, Starwood Capital may have conflicting loyalties between its duties to us and to other affiliates. Such investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities that may be held by such entities. To the extent we hold an equity interest or an interest in a loan or debt security that is different (including with respect to their relative seniority) than those held by such Other Starwood Accounts, the Advisor and its affiliates may have limited or no rights with respect to decisions when our interests and the interests of the Other Starwood Accounts are in conflict, and Starwood Capital may have conflicting loyalties between its duties to us and to other affiliates. In that regard, actions may be taken for the Other Starwood Accounts that are adverse to us. There can be no assurance that any such conflict will be resolved in our favor and Starwood Capital may be required to take action where it will have conflicting loyalties between its duties to us and to Other Starwood Accounts, which may adversely impact us.
In addition, conflicts may arise in determining the amount of an investment, if any, to be allocated among potential investors and the respective terms thereof. There can be no assurance that the return on our investment will be equivalent to or better than the returns obtained by the other affiliates participating in the transaction. In addition, it is possible that in a bankruptcy proceeding our interest may be subordinated or otherwise adversely affected by virtue of such Other Starwood Accounts’ involvement and actions relating to its investment.
We may enter into joint ventures and other shared assets which will involve risks and conflicts of interests.
We and any Other Starwood Accounts may invest in shared assets typically through the formation of joint ventures that we and such fund control equally. Such joint venture investments will involve risks and conflicts of interests. See “—Risks Related Investments in Real Estate—We may make a substantial amount of joint venture investments, including with Starwood affiliates. Joint venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on the financial condition of our joint venture partners and disputes between us and our joint venture partners.”
Starwood may structure certain investments such that Starwood will face conflicting fiduciary duties to us and certain debt funds.
It is expected that Starwood will structure certain investments such that one or more mezzanine or other investment funds, structured vehicles or other collective investment vehicles primarily investing in senior secured loans, distressed debt, subordinated debt, high-yield securities, CMBS and other similar debt instruments managed by affiliates of Starwood Capital (collectively, “Debt Funds”) are offered the opportunity to participate in the debt tranche of an investment allocated to us. The Advisor and its affiliates owe fiduciary duties to the Debt Funds as well as to us. If the Debt Funds purchase high-yield securities or other debt instruments related to a property or real estate company that we hold an investment in (or if we make or have an investment in or, through the purchase of debt obligations become a lender to, a company or property in which a Debt Fund or an Other Starwood Account or another Starwood Capital real estate fund or vehicle has a mezzanine or other debt investment), the Advisor and its affiliates will face a conflict of interest in respect of the advice given to, or the decisions made with regard to, the Debt Funds, such Other Starwood Accounts and us (e.g., with respect to the terms of such high-yield securities or other debt instruments, the enforcement of covenants, the terms of recapitalizations and the resolution of workouts or bankruptcies).
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Starwood Capital may raise or manage Other Starwood Accounts which could result in the reallocation of Starwood Capital personnel and the direction of potential investments to such Other Starwood Accounts.
Starwood Capital reserves the right to raise and manage Other Starwood Accounts, including opportunistic and stabilized and substantially stabilized real estate funds or separate accounts, dedicated managed accounts, investments suitable for lower risk, lower return funds or higher risk, higher return funds, real estate debt obligation and trading investment vehicles, real estate funds primarily making investments in a single sector of the real estate investment space (e.g., office, industrial, retail or multifamily) or makingnon-controlling investments in public and private debt and equity securities or investment funds that may have the same or similar investment objectives or guidelines as us, investment funds formed for specific geographical areas or investments, including those raised by us and one or more managed accounts (or other similar arrangements structured through an entity) for the benefit of one or more specific investors (or related group of investors) which, in each case, may have investment objectives or guidelines that overlap with ours. See “—Certain Other Starwood Accounts have similar or overlapping investment objectives and guidelines, and we will not be allocated certain opportunities and may be allocated only opportunities with lower relative returns.” In particular, we expect that there will be overlap of real property, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts. The closing of an Other Starwood Account could result in the reallocation of Starwood Capital personnel, including reallocation of existing real estate professionals, to such Other Starwood Account. In addition, potential investments that may be suitable for us may be directed toward such Other Starwood Account.
Starwood Capital’s potential involvement in financing a third party’s purchase of assets from us could lead to potential or actual conflicts of interest.
We may from time to time dispose of all or a portion of an investment by way of a third-party purchaser’s bid where Starwood Capital or one or more Other Starwood Accounts is providing financing as part of such bid or acquisition of the investment or underlying assets thereof. This may include the circumstance where Starwood Capital or one or more Other Starwood Accounts is making commitments to provide financing at or prior to the time such third-party purchaser commits to purchase such investments or assets from us. Such involvement of Starwood Capital or one or more Other Starwood Accounts as such a provider of debt financing in connection with the potential acquisition of portfolio investments by third parties from us may give rise to potential or actual conflicts of interest.
Disputes between Starwood Capital and our joint venture partners who havepre-existing investments with Starwood Capital may affect our investments relating thereto.
Some of the third-party operators and joint-venture partners with which the Advisor may elect toco-invest our capital may havepre-existing investments with Starwood Capital. The terms of these preexisting investments may differ from the terms upon which we invest with such operators and partners. To the extent a dispute arises between Starwood Capital and such operators and partners, our investments relating thereto may be affected.
Certain principals and employees may be involved in and have a greater financial interest in the performance of other Starwood Capital funds or accounts, and such activities may create conflicts of interest in making investment decisions on our behalf.
Certain of the principals and employees of the Advisor and the Dealer Manager may be subject to a variety of conflicts of interest relating to their responsibilities to us and the management of our real estate portfolio. Such individuals may serve in an advisory capacity to other managed accounts or investment vehicles, as members of an investment or advisory committee or a board of directors (or similar such capacity) for one or more investment funds, corporations, foundations or other organizations. Such positions may create a conflict between the services and advice provided to such entities and the responsibilities owed to us. The other managed accounts
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and investment funds in which such individuals may become involved may have investment objectives that overlap with ours. Furthermore, certain principals and employees of the Advisor may have a greater financial interest in the performance of such other funds or accounts than our performance. Such involvement may create conflicts of interest in making investments on our behalf and such other funds and accounts. Such principals and employees will seek to limit any such conflicts in a manner that is in accordance with their fiduciary duties to us and such organizations.
The Advisor may face conflicts of interests in choosing our service providers and certain service providers may provide services to the Dealer Manager, the Advisor or Starwood Capital on more favorable terms than those payable by us.
Certain advisors and other service providers or their affiliates (including accountants, administrators, lenders, bankers, brokers, attorneys, consultants, title agents, property managers and investment or commercial banking firms) that provide goods or services to us, Starwood Capital or certain entities in which we have an investment may also provide goods or services to or have business, personal, financial or other relationships with Starwood Capital and its other businesses. Such advisors and service providers may be investors in us, affiliates of the Dealer Manager or the Advisor, sources of investment opportunities orco-investors or commercial counterparties or entities in which Starwood Capital or Other Starwood Accounts have an investment, and payments by us may indirectly benefit Starwood Capital or such Other Starwood Accounts. Additionally, certain employees of the Advisor may have family members or relatives employed by such advisors and service providers. The Advisor or its affiliates may also provide administrative services to us. These relationships may influence us, Starwood Capital and the Advisor in deciding whether to select or recommend such a service provider to perform services for us or a portfolio property (the cost of which will generally be borne directly or indirectly by us or such portfolio property, as applicable).
It is expected that certain Starwood Capital affiliates will also provide other services in respect of our investments from time to time, including, but not limited to, property management services, leasing services oversight and administrative corporate services. Employees of these affiliates may also receive performance-based compensation in respect of our investments. The fees and expenses of such Starwood Capital-affiliated service providers (and, if applicable, their employees) will be borne by our investments and there will be no related offset to the management fee we pay to the Advisor. While Starwood Capital believes that any such affiliated service providers, when engaged, generally provide (or will provide) services at rates equal to or better than those provided by third parties (even in jurisdictions where insurance rates are statutorily determined), there is an inherent conflict of interest that may incentivize Starwood Capital to engage its affiliated service provider over a third party.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transactions relating to our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities that require the use of a service provider generally will be allocated to service providers on the basis of best execution, the evaluation of which includes, among other considerations, such service provider’s provision of certain investment-related services and research that the Advisor believes to be of benefit to us. Service providers or their affiliates often charge different rates or have different arrangements for different types of services. With respect to service providers, for example, the fee for a given type of work may vary depending on the complexity of the matter as well as the expertise required and demands placed on the service provider. Therefore, to the extent the types of services used by us are different from those used by Starwood Capital and its affiliates, the Advisor or its affiliates may pay different amounts or rates than those paid by us. However, the Advisor and its affiliates have a longstanding practice of not entering into any arrangements with service providers that could provide for lower rates or discounts than those available to us, or other Starwood Capital investment vehicles for the same services.
The Advisor may face conflicts of interest related to tenants.
Certain properties owned by us or an Other Starwood Account may be leased out to tenants that are affiliates of Starwood Capital, including but not limited to Other Starwood Accounts and their respective portfolio
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companies, which would give rise to a conflict of interest. In such events, the Advisor will endeavor to ensure that such conflicts are resolved in a fair and equitable manner, subject to applicable oversight of our board of directors.
The personnel of the Dealer Manager and the Advisor may trade in securities for their own accounts, subject to restrictions applicable to Starwood Capital personnel.
The officers, directors, members, managers and employees of the Dealer Manager and the Advisor may trade in securities for their own accounts, subject to restrictions and reporting requirements as may be required by law and Starwood Capital policies, or otherwise determined from time to time by the Dealer Manager or the Advisor.
We expect to have a diverse stockholder group and the interests of our stockholders may conflict with one another and may conflict with the interests of investors in other vehicles that weco-invest with.
Our stockholders may have conflicting investment, tax and other interests with respect to their investments in us and with respect to the interests of investors in other investment vehicles managed or advised by the Advisor or its affiliates that may participate in the same investments as us. The conflicting interests of individual stockholders with respect to other stockholders and relative to investors in other investment vehicles may relate to or arise from, among other things, the nature of investments made by us and such other vehicles, the structuring or the acquisition of investments and the timing of disposition of investments and such other vehicles. As a consequence, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with decisions made by the Advisor, including with respect to the nature or structuring of investments, which may be more beneficial for one stockholder than for another stockholder, especially with respect to stockholders’ individual tax situations. In addition, we may make investments that may have a negative impact on related investments made by the stockholders in separate transactions. In selecting and structuring investments appropriate for us, the Advisor considers the investment and tax objectives of us (including our qualification as a REIT) and our stockholders (and those of investors in other investment vehicles managed or advised by the Advisor or its affiliate) as a whole, not the investment, tax or other objectives of any stockholders individually.
Risks Related to our REIT Status and Certain Other Tax Items
If we do not qualify as a REIT, we will be subject to tax as a regular corporation and could face a substantial tax liability.
We expect to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial or administrative interpretations exist. Notwithstanding the availability of cure provisions in the Code, various compliance requirements could be failed and could jeopardize our REIT status. Furthermore, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, then:
• | we would be taxed as a regular domestic corporation, which under current laws would result in, among other things, being subject to federal and applicable state and local income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates without being able to deduct dividends distributed to stockholders in computing taxable income; |
• | any resulting tax liability could be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our book value; |
• | unless we were entitled to relief under applicable statutory provisions, we would be required to pay taxes, and thus, our cash available for distribution to stockholders would be reduced for each of the years during which we did not qualify as a REIT and for which we had taxable income; and |
• | we generally would not be eligible to re-elect to be taxed as a REIT for the subsequent four full taxable years. |
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Legislative, regulatory or administrative changes could adversely affect us or our stockholders.
The tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations thereof may be amended at any time. We cannot predict if or when any new or amended law, regulation or administrative interpretation will be adopted, promulgated or become effective, and any such change may apply retroactively. We and our stockholders may be adversely affected by any new or amended law, regulation or administrative interpretation.
On December 22, 2017 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Most of the changes applicable to individuals are temporary and apply only to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued significant proposed guidance under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but guidance on additional issues, finalization of proposed guidance and possible technical corrections legislation may adversely affect us or our stockholders. In addition, further changes to the tax laws, unrelated to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, are possible.
Prospective stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the status of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and any other regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on investment in our common stock.
To maintain our REIT status, we may have to borrow funds on a short-term basis during unfavorable market conditions.
To qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute annually to our stockholders at least 90% of our net taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gains. We will be subject to regular corporate income taxes on any undistributed REIT taxable income, including undistributed net capital gain, each year, including net capital gains. Additionally, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions paid by us in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from previous years. Payments we make to our stockholders under our share repurchase plan will not be taken into account for purposes of these distribution requirements. If we do not have sufficient cash to make distributions necessary to preserve our REIT status for any year or to avoid taxation, we may be forced to borrow funds or sell assets even if the market conditions at that time are not favorable for borrowings or sales.
Compliance with REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities, which may hinder or delay our ability to meet our investment objectives and reduce your overall return.
To qualify as a REIT, we are required at all times to satisfy tests relating to, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the ownership of our stock and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. Compliance with the REIT requirements may impair our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits. For example, we may be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution.
Compliance with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To qualify as a REIT, at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of our assets must consist of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified real estate assets. The remainder of our investments in securities (other than qualified real estate assets, government securities and securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries) generally cannot include more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer unless we and such issuer jointly elect for such issuer to be treated as a “taxable REIT subsidiary” under the Code. Additionally, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities, qualified real estate assets and securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries) can
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consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our assets may be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries and no more than 25% of our assets may be represented by “nonqualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments.” If we fail to comply with these requirements, we must dispose of a portion of our assets within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in order to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences. In order to satisfy these requirements, we may be forced to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
Our charter will not permit any person or group to own more than 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or of our outstanding capital stock of all classes or series, and attempts to acquire our common stock or our capital stock of all other classes or series in excess of these 9.8% limits would not be effective without an exemption from these limits by our board of directors.
In order to qualify as a REIT under the Code, not more than 50% of the value of the outstanding shares of our stock may be owned directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) at any time during the last half of each taxable year after the first year for which we elect to be taxed as a REIT. Our charter will prohibit beneficial or constructive ownership by any person or group of more than a certain percentage, which is expected to be 9.8%, in value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our outstanding common stock or 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding capital stock of all classes or series, which we refer to as the “ownership limit.” The constructive ownership rules under the Code and our charter are complex and may cause shares of our stock owned by a group of related persons to be deemed to be constructively owned by one person. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of our common stock or our capital stock by a person could cause another person to own constructively in excess of 9.8% of the outstanding shares of our common stock or our capital stock, respectively, and thus violate the ownership limit. There can be no assurance that our board of directors, as permitted in the charter, will not decrease this ownership limit in the future. Any attempt to own or transfer shares of our common stock or capital stock in excess of the ownership limit without the consent of our board of directors will result either in the shares in excess of the limit being transferred by operation of the charter to a charitable trust, and the person who attempted to acquire such excess shares will not have any rights in such excess shares, or in the transfer being void.
The ownership limit may have the effect of precluding a change in control of us by a third party, even if such change in control would be in the best interests of our stockholders or would result in receipt of a premium to the price of our common stock (and even if such change in control would not reasonably jeopardize our REIT status). The exemptions to the ownership limit granted to date may limit our board of directors’ power to increase the ownership limit or grant further exemptions in the future.
Non-U.S. holders may be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon their receipt of certain distributions from us or upon their disposition of shares of our common stock.
In addition to any potential withholding tax on ordinary dividends, anon-U.S. holder (as such term is defined below under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock”), other than a “qualified shareholder” or a “qualified foreign pension fund,” that disposes of a “United States real property interest” (“USRPI”) (which includes shares of stock of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of USRPIs), or that receives a distribution from a REIT that is attributable to gains from such a disposition, is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, as amended (“FIRPTA”), on the gain from (or, in the case of a distribution, to the extent attributable to gains from) such disposition. Such tax does not apply, however, to gain on the disposition of stock in a REIT that is “domestically controlled.” Generally, a REIT is domestically controlled if less than 50% of its stock, by value, has been owned directly or indirectly bynon-U.S. persons during a continuous five-year period ending on the date of disposition or, if shorter, during the entire period of the REIT’s existence. We cannot assure you that we will qualify as a domestically controlled REIT. If we were to fail to so qualify, amounts received by anon-U.S. holder on certain dispositions of shares of our common stock would be subject to tax under FIRPTA,
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unless (i) our shares of common stock were regularly traded on an established securities market and (ii) thenon-U.S. holder did not, at any time during a specified testing period, hold more than 10% of our common stock. Furthermore, certain distributions by us may be subject to tax under FIRPTA unless the conditions in clauses (i) and (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence are satisfied, subject to certain exceptions. We do not expect our shares to be regularly traded on an established securities market. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation ofNon-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock—Sales of Our Common Stock.”
Investments outside the United States may subject us to additional taxes and could present additional complications to our ability to satisfy the REIT qualification requirements.
Non-U.S. investments may subject us to variousnon-U.S. tax liabilities, including withholding taxes. In addition, operating in functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar and in environments in which real estate transactions are typically structured differently than they are in the United States or are subject to different legal rules may present complications to our ability to structurenon-U.S. investments in a manner that enables us to satisfy the REIT qualification requirements.
We may incur tax liabilities that would reduce our cash available for distribution to you.
Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may become subject to U.S. federal income taxes and related state and local taxes. For example, net income from the sale of properties that are “dealer” properties sold by a REIT (a “prohibited transaction” under the Code) will be subject to a 100% tax. We may not make sufficient distributions to avoid income and excise taxes applicable to REITs. If we were to fail either gross income test (and did not lose our REIT status because such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect), we would be subject to tax on the income that does not meet the gross income test requirements. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our investments and pay income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax we paid. However, stockholders that aretax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and thereon seek a refund of such tax. We also may be subject to state and local taxes on our income or property, including franchise, payroll, mortgage recording and transfer taxes, either directly or at the level of the other companies through which we indirectly own our assets, such as our domestic taxable REIT subsidiaries, which are subject to full U.S. federal, state, local and foreign corporate-level income taxes. Any taxes we pay directly or indirectly will reduce our cash available for distribution to you.
Restrictions on deduction of all of our interest expense could prevent us from satisfying the REIT distribution requirements and avoiding incurring income or excise taxes.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, new rules may limit our ability (and the ability of entities that are not treated as disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and in which we hold an interest) to deduct interest expense. Under amended Section 163(j) of the Code, the deduction for business interest expense may be limited to the amount of the taxpayer’s business interest income plus 30% of the taxpayer’s “adjusted taxable income” unless the taxpayer’s gross receipts do not exceed $25 million per year during the applicable testing period or the taxpayer qualifies to elect and elects to be treated as an “electing real property trade or business.” A taxpayer’s adjusted taxable income will start with its taxable income and add back items of non-business income and expense, business interest income and business interest expense, net operating losses, any deductions for “qualified business income,” and, in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2022, any deductions for depreciation, amortization or depletion. A taxpayer that is exempt from the interest expense limitations as an electing real property trade or business is ineligible for certain expensing benefits and is subject to less favorable depreciation rules for real property. The new rules for business interest expense will apply to us and at the level of each entity in which or through which we invest that is not a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To the extent that our interest expense is not deductible, our taxable income will be increased, as will our REIT distribution requirements and the amounts we need to distribute to avoid incurring income and excise taxes.
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Our board of directors is authorized to revoke our REIT election without stockholder approval, which may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that changes to U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations or other considerations mean it is no longer in our best interests to qualify as a REIT. Our board of directors has fiduciary duties to us and our stockholders and could only cause such changes in our tax treatment if it determines in good faith that such changes are in our best interests and in the best interests of our stockholders. In this event, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income, and we would no longer be required to distribute most of our net income to our stockholders, which may cause a reduction in the total return to our stockholders.
You may have current tax liability on distributions you elect to reinvest in our common stock.
If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, you will be deemed to have received, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in shares of our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not atax-free return of capital. Therefore, unless you are atax-exempt entity, you may be forced to use funds from other sources to pay your tax liability on the reinvested dividends.
We may choose to pay dividends in a combination of cash and our own common stock, in which case stockholders may be required to pay income taxes in excess of the cash dividends they receive.
We may choose to pay dividends in a combination of cash and our own common stock. Under IRS Revenue Procedure2017-45, as a publicly offered REIT, we may give stockholders a choice, subject to various limits and requirements, of receiving a dividend in cash or in our common stock. As long as at least 20% of the total dividend is available in cash and certain other requirements are satisfied, the IRS will treat the stock distribution as a dividend (to the extent applicable rules treat such distribution as being made out of our earnings and profits). As a result, U.S. stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such dividends in excess of the cash dividends they receive. In the case ofnon-U.S. stockholders, we generally will be required to withhold tax with respect to the entire dividend, which withholding tax may exceed the amount of cash suchnon-U.S. stockholder would otherwise receive.
Ordinary dividends payable by REITs generally do not qualify for reduced U.S. federal income tax rates.
The maximum tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income payable to certainnon-corporate U.S. stockholders, including individuals, is currently 20%. Dividends paid by REITs, however, are not eligible for the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income, except to the extent designated as capital gain dividends or qualified dividend income. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause certainnon-corporate investors to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks ofnon-REIT corporations that pay dividends, even taking into account the deduction of up to 20% of ordinary REIT dividends received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026.
The failure of a mezzanine loan to qualify as a real estate asset could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.
We may acquire mezzanine loans. The IRS has provided a safe harbor, but not rules of substantive law, under which a mezzanine loan that meets certain requirements will be treated by the IRS as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests, and interest derived from the mezzanine loan will be treated as qualifying mortgage interest for purposes of the REIT 75% gross income test. We may acquire mezzanine loans that do not meet all of the requirements of this safe harbor. In the event we own a mezzanine loan that does not meet the safe harbor, the IRS could challenge such loan’s treatment as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset and gross income tests and, if such a challenge were sustained, we could fail to qualify as a REIT.
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If our Operating Partnership failed to qualify as a partnership or is not otherwise disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would cease to qualify as a REIT.
If the IRS were to successfully challenge the status of our Operating Partnership as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be taxable as a corporation. In the event that this occurs, it would reduce the amount of distributions that our Operating Partnership could make to us. This would also result in our failing to qualify as a REIT and becoming subject to a corporate-level tax on our income, which would substantially reduce our cash available to pay distributions and the yield on your investment.
Our taxable REIT subsidiaries are subject to special rules that may result in increased taxes.
We may conduct certain activities or invest in assets through one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A taxable REIT subsidiary is a corporation other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Other than some activities relating to hotel and health care properties, a taxable REIT subsidiary may generally engage in any business, including the provision of customary ornon-customary services to tenants of its parent REIT. A domestic taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to U.S. federal income tax as a regular C corporation.
No more than 20% of the value of our total assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. This requirement limits the extent to which we can conduct our activities through taxable REIT subsidiaries. The values of some of our assets, including assets that we hold through taxable REIT subsidiaries, may not be subject to precise determination, and values are subject to change in the future. In addition, as a REIT, we must pay a 100% penalty tax on IRS adjustments to certain payments that we make or receive if the economic arrangements between us and any of our taxable REIT subsidiaries are not comparable to similar arrangements between unrelated parties. We intend to structure transactions with any taxable REIT subsidiary on terms that we believe are arm’s length to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above: however, the IRS may successfully assert that the economic arrangements of any of our intercompany transactions are not comparable to similar arrangements between unrelated parties.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.
The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, any income that we generate from hedging transactions will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% REIT gross income tests if: (i) the instrument (A) hedges interest rate risk or foreign currency exposure on liabilities used to carry or acquire real estate assets, (B) hedges risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the 75% or 95% gross income tests or (C) hedges a position entered into pursuant to clause (A) or (B) after the extinguishment of such liability or disposition of the asset producing such income; and (ii) such instrument is properly identified under applicable Treasury Regulations. Income from hedging transactions that do not meet these requirements will generally constitutenon-qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations —Gross Income Tests” and “—Hedging Transactions.” As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous or implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our taxable REIT subsidiary would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in our taxable REIT subsidiary will generally not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward against future taxable income in the taxable REIT subsidiary.
The “taxable mortgage pool” rules may increase the taxes that we or our stockholders may incur, and may limit the manner in which we effect future securitizations.
Securitizations could result in the creation of taxable mortgage pools for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, so long as we own 100% of the equity interests in a taxable mortgage pool, we generally would not be
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adversely affected by the characterization of the securitization as a taxable mortgage pool. Certain categories of stockholders, however, such as foreign stockholders eligible for treaty or other benefits, stockholders with net operating losses, and certaintax-exempt stockholders that are subject to unrelated business income tax, could be subject to increased taxes on a portion of their dividend income from us that is attributable to the taxable mortgage pool. Because we hold substantially all of our assets through the Operating Partnership, which is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the foregoing rules would not apply if our Operating Partnership was, or owned an equity interest in, a taxable mortgage pool, and any such taxable mortgage pool would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and could prevent us from qualifying as a REIT. These limitations may prevent us from using certain techniques to maximize our returns from securitization transactions.
Our investments in construction loans may require us to make estimates about the fair value of land improvements that may be challenged by the IRS.
We may invest in construction loans, the interest from which will be qualifying income for purposes of the REIT gross income tests, provided that the loan value of the real property securing the construction loan is equal to or greater than the highest outstanding principal amount of the construction loan during any taxable year. For purposes of construction loans, the loan value of the real property is the fair value of the land plus the reasonably estimated cost of the improvements or developments (other than personal property) that secure the loan and that are to be constructed from the proceeds of the loan. There can be no assurance that the IRS would not challenge our estimate of the loan value of the real property.
Retirement Plan Risks
If the fiduciary of an employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), fails to meet the fiduciary and other standards under ERISA, the Code or common law as a result of an investment in our stock, the fiduciary could be subject to civil penalties.
There are special considerations that apply to investing in our shares on behalf of a trust, pension, profit sharing or 401(k) plans, health or welfare plans, trusts, individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) or Keogh plans. If you are investing the assets of any of the entities identified in the prior sentence in our common stock, you should satisfy yourself that:
• | the investment is consistent with your fiduciary obligations under applicable law, including common law, ERISA and the Code; |
• | the investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the trust, plan or IRA, including a plan’s investment policy; |
• | the investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code; |
• | the investment will not impair the liquidity of the trust, plan or IRA; |
• | the investment will not produce “unrelated business taxable income” for the plan or IRA; |
• | our stockholders will be able to value the assets of the plan annually in accordance with ERISA requirements and applicable provisions of the plan or IRA; and |
• | the investment will not constitute anon-exempt prohibited transaction under Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code. |
Failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA, the Code, or other applicable statutory or common law may result in the imposition of civil penalties, and can subject the fiduciary to equitable remedies. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes anon-exempt prohibited transaction under Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, the fiduciary that authorized or directed the investment may be subject to the imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested.
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If our assets at any time are deemed to constitute “plan assets” under ERISA, that may lead to the rescission of certain transactions, tax or fiduciary liability and our being held in violation of certain ERISA and Code requirements.
Stockholders subject to ERISA should consult their own advisors as to the effect of ERISA on an investment in the shares. As discussed under “Certain ERISA Considerations,” if our assets are deemed to constitute “plan assets” of stockholders that are ERISA Plans (as defined below) (i) certain transactions that we might enter into in the ordinary course of our business might have to be rescinded and may give rise to certain excise taxes and fiduciary liability under Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code; (ii) our management, as well as various providers of fiduciary or other services to us (including the Advisor), and any other parties with authority or control with respect to us or our assets, may be considered fiduciaries or otherwise parties in interest or disqualified persons for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code; and (iii) the fiduciaries of stockholders that are ERISA Plans would not be protected from“co-fiduciary liability” resulting from our decisions and could be in violation of certain ERISA requirements.
Accordingly, prospective investors that are (i) “employee benefit plans” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA), which are subject to Title I of ERISA; (ii) “plans” defined in Section 4975 of the Code, which are subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including “Keogh” plans and “individual retirement accounts”); or (iii) entities whose underlying assets are deemed to include plan assets within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder (e.g., an entity of which 25% or more of the total value of any class of equity interests is held by “benefit plan investors”) (each such plan, account and entity described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) we refer to as “Benefit Plan Investors”) should consult with their own legal, tax, financial and other advisors prior to investing to review these implications in light of such investor’s particular circumstances. The sale of our common stock to any Benefit Plan Investor is in no respect a representation by us or any other person associated with the offering of our shares of common stock that such an investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by plans generally or any particular plan, or that such an investment is appropriate for plans generally or any particular plan.
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The following tables present information about the net proceeds raised in this offering for each class, assuming that we sell the maximum primary offering amount of $4,000,000,000 and no shares under our distribution reinvestment plan. The tables assume that 1/4 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of each of our Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The number of shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from what is shown in the tables below. We may reallocate the shares of our common stock we are offering between the primary offering and our distribution reinvestment plan. We will only use the proceeds raised in this offering for the purposes set forth in this prospectus and in a manner within the investment guidelines approved by our board of directors, who serve as fiduciaries to our stockholders.
The actual amount of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will vary from the estimated amounts shown in the tables below because (1) our Class T and Class S shares will be sold at a price that varies monthly generally based on our prior month’s NAV per share for that class of shares and actual upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees per Class T and Class S share will be a percentage of the transaction price and (2) the upfront selling commission and dealer manager fees may be reduced in connection with certain categories of sales of Class T and Class S shares. Any reduction in upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will be accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the Class T and Class S per share purchase price to the applicable stockholder, but will not affect the amounts available to us for investment. Because amounts in this table are estimates, they may not accurately reflect the actual receipt or use of the offering proceeds.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to (1) make investments in accordance with our investment strategy and policies, (2) reduce borrowings and repay indebtedness incurred under various financing agreements we may enter into and (3) fund repurchases under our share repurchase plan. Generally, our policy will be to pay distributions from cash flow from operations. However, subject to Maryland law and the discretion of our board of directors, particularly in the earlier part of this offering, we may choose to use cash flows from the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner), or other sources to fund distributions to our stockholders.
The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class T shares.
Maximum Offering of $1,000,000,000 in Class T Shares | ||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) | $ | 1,000,000,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees(2) | 33,816,425 | 3.38 | % | |||||
Organization and Offering Expenses(3) | 15,000,000 | 1.50 | % | |||||
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Net Proceeds Available for Investment | $ | 951,183,575 | 95.12 | % | ||||
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The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class S shares.
Maximum Offering of $1,000,000,000 in Class S Shares | ||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) | $ | 1,000,000,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions(2) | 33,816,425 | 3.38 | % | |||||
Organization and Offering Expenses(3) | 15,000,000 | 1.50 | % | |||||
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Net Proceeds Available for Investment | $ | 951,183,575 | 95.12 | % | ||||
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The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class D shares.
Maximum Offering of $1,000,000 in Class D Shares | ||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) | $ | 1,000,000,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions(2) | — | — | ||||||
Organization and Offering Expenses(3) | 15,000,000 | 1.50 | % | |||||
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Net Proceeds Available for Investment | $ | 985,000,000 | 98.50 | % | ||||
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The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class I shares.
Maximum Offering of $1,000,000 in Class I Shares | ||||||||
Gross Proceeds(1) | $ | 1,000,000,000 | 100.00 | % | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions(2) | — | — | ||||||
Organization and Offering Expenses(3) | 15,000,000 | 1.50 | % | |||||
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Net Proceeds Available for Investment | $ | 985,000,000 | 98.50 | % | ||||
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(1) | Gross offering proceeds include upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees that the Dealer Manager is entitled to receive (including any amounts that may be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers). |
(2) | For Class T shares, includes upfront selling commissions of 3.0% of the transaction price and dealer manager fees of 0.5% of the transaction price; however, such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold. For Class S shares, includes upfront selling commissions of 3.5% of the transaction price. Amounts presented in the tables are less than 3.5% of gross proceeds because upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees are calculated as 3.5% of the transaction price (which excludes upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees), which means that upfront selling commissions expressed as a percentage of the total investment (including upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees) are less than 3.5%. We will also pay the following selling commissions over time as stockholder servicing fees to the Dealer Manager, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation: (a) for Class T shares only, an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum, and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV for the Class T shares, provided however, that with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares (b) for Class S shares only, a stockholder servicing fee equal to 0.85% per annum |
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of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares and (c) for Class D shares only, a stockholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. The total amount that will be paid over time for stockholder servicing fees depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments, and is not expected to be paid from offering proceeds. See “Plan of Distribution—Underwriting Compensation—Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees” and “Compensation—Stockholder Servicing Fees.” |
(3) | The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the date on which we broke escrow in this offering. We will reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. We will reimburse the Advisor for any organization and offering expenses that it incurs on our behalf after December 21, 2019 as and when such expenses are incurred. See “Compensation—Organization and Offering Expense Reimbursement” for examples of the types of organization and offering expenses we may incur. |
In the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources, including upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees, stockholder servicing fees and other underwriting compensation, will not exceed 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.
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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY
Investment Objectives
Our investment objectives are to invest in high quality assets that will enable us to:
• | provide current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield; |
• | preserve and protect invested capital; |
• | realize appreciation in NAV from proactive investment and asset management; and |
• | provide an investment alternative for stockholders seeking to allocate a portion of their long-term investment portfolios to commercial real estate with lower volatility than publicly traded real estate companies. |
We cannot assure you that we will achieve our investment objectives. See the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus.
Investment Strategy
Starwood Capital is a private investment firm with a primary focus on global real estate, founded and controlled by Barry S. Sternlicht, the Chairman of our board of directors. Since Starwood Capital’s inception in 1991, it has raised over $45 billion of equity capital and currently has over $60 billion of assets under management. Over the past 28 years, Starwood Capital has acquired more than $100 billion of real estate assets (including equity, loans and investments in operating companies) across virtually all real estate asset classes, including office, apartments, condominiums, hotels, multifamily, industrial and retail. On behalf of Starwood Capital, members of its executive team have founded, recapitalized or taken public numerous companies, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Starwood Property Trust, Inc., Starwood Waypoint Homes (f/k/a Colony Starwood Homes), iStar Financial Inc. and Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. Starwood Capital also participated in the formation of Equity Residential Properties Trust, a NYSE-listed multifamily REIT. We believe the breadth of experience and the relationships that Starwood Capital has fostered since its inception will provide us with competitive advantages in acquiring, developing, financing, asset managing, operating and selling our targeted investments in real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities. Starwood Capital maintains ten offices located in four countries, including its headquarters in Miami Beach, Florida, as well as offices in Greenwich, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago, and affiliated offices in London, Luxembourg and Hong Kong.
We intend to bring Starwood Capital’s leading real estate investment platform and long-standing best practices to the public,non-listed REIT industry. Our investment strategy is primarily to acquire stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate and debt secured by commercial real estate. Our real estate portfolio may include multifamily, office, hotel, industrial and retail assets, as well as other property types, including, without limitation, medical office, student housing, senior living, data centers, manufactured housing and storage properties. Our real estate-related debt investments will focus on first mortgage, subordinated mortgage and mezzanine loans, participations in such loans and other forms of debt secured by or related to the foregoing types of commercial real estate.
We will only invest in real estate-related debt to the extent such investments are not within the investment strategy of Starwood Property Trust and any future Other Starwood Accounts that may target such assets or if Starwood Property Trust passes on such investments, including when it does not have sufficient capital.
While our investment strategy is primarily to acquire stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate, and debt secured by commercial real estate, in the United States, we may acquire properties, and debt investments
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secured by properties, outside of the United States with a focus on investments in Europe. We believe international investments may bring an additional level of diversification to our portfolio. In addition, Starwood Capital has considerable experience investing and managing international real estate and has affiliated offices in London, Luxembourg and Hong Kong. We expect to leverage the Starwood Capital team, offices and experience when making investments in international properties.
Through our relationship with the Advisor, we will capitalize upon Starwood Capital’s organizational scale, extensive industry relationships and expertise of investing through real estate cycles since 1991. Starwood Capital has invested in virtually every category of real estate on a global basis, opportunistically shifting asset classes and geographies as it perceives the risk/reward dynamic to be evolving. We intend to use the Advisor’s expertise, track record and contacts to identify and acquire assets at attractive pricing with long-term hold characteristics to produce stable, durable cash flows with long-term capital appreciation potential.
To a lesser extent, we may selectively acquire and hold real estate-related securities. Our real estate-related securities investments will focus on the common and preferred stock of publicly traded REITs and other real estate companies and may include CMBS. We believe that our real estate-related securities will help maintain liquidity to satisfy any stock repurchases we choose to make in any particular month and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into properties while also seeking attractive investment return.
Our structure as a perpetual-life REIT will allow us to acquire and manage our investment portfolio in an active and flexible manner. We believe the structure will be advantageous to stockholders, as we will not be limited by apre-determined operational period and the need to liquidate assets, potentially in an unfavorable market, to satisfy a liquidity event at the end of that period.
Potential Competitive Strengths
Our primary potential competitive strength is our affiliation with Starwood Capital and its founder, Barry Sternlicht, who serves as the Chairman of our board of directors. Starwood Capital is one of the most successful investors in commercial real estate in the world. We believe that Starwood Capital’s strong presence across the United States and Europe will enable us to source and manage investments through the Advisor to achieve superior risk-adjusted returns. We also believe that we benefit from Starwood Capital’s purchase of $5 million in Class I shares, which aligns its interests with our public stockholders.Our ability to execute our investment strategy will be supported by Starwood Capital’s distinctive potential competitive strengths, including:
Deep Market and Asset Knowledge. Starwood Capital has been a very active investor in the U.S. and European commercial real estate markets for 28 years. Starwood Capital owns or manages the following investments in the United States and Europe:
• | 76,000 multifamily units; |
• | 26 million square feet of office buildings; |
• | 600 hotel properties, ranging from select service hotels to ultra-luxury resorts; and |
• | 33 million square feet of retail properties. |
We expect the proprietary data generated by Starwood Capital’s property portfolio will enable us to target specific themes with conviction and deploy significant amounts of capital.
Strong Relationships within the Industry. The resources, relationships, and proprietary information of Starwood Capital provide a deep sourcing network for new opportunities. We believe Starwood Capital sees significantly more deal flow than most of its competitors because of its scale. Indeed, a large portion of the transactions ultimately completed by Starwood Capital are sourced completelyoff-market through existing, deep relationships.
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DeepHands-On Real Estate Perspective. Starwood Capital has 27 years of experience covering every real estate asset class. The firm has acquired over $100 billion of real estate assets since inception, generating strong returns throughout that period. Starwood Capital also operates Starwood Property Trust, one of the largest commercial mortgage REITs in the United States, which has deployed approximately $51 billion in capital since it commenced operations in 2009.
Investment Agility. A hallmark of Starwood Capital is its ability to pursue a wide variety of investment opportunities as they emerge, moving from asset class to asset class, shifting geographies from the United States to select international markets and changing positions in the capital stack as its investment professionals perceive risk/return dynamics to be evolving. Starwood Capital’s reputation, sophistication, highly experienced team, speed, access to capital and ability to execute provide it with a competitive sourcing advantage. Starwood Capital’s ability to conduct detailed due diligence in a timely and efficient manner will afford the Advisor, through its relationship with Starwood Capital, an edge in closing complicated and time-sensitive investments on our behalf, which typically are some of the most compelling opportunities.
Operational Expertise. Starwood Capital has broad real estate operating experience, with asset management organized into dedicated teams by specialty. The firm has created a number of platforms that are designed to enhance operational efficiencies and maximize the value of underlying assets. In addition, Starwood Capital’sin-house loan workout expertise gives it the ability to find value in the debt markets.
Capital Markets Skills. Starwood Capital believes that its capital markets expertise is a core competency that sets it apart from more traditional real estate investors. Starwood Capital’s team constantly evaluates real estate in relation to the respective capital markets’ valuations in order to take advantage of pricing inefficiencies. Specifically, when the public markets are willing to pay more for assets or platforms than could be generated from longer-term holds or individual asset sales, Starwood Capital has the knowledge and capability to act on this arbitrage. Starwood Capital’s expert team and global network of lending relationships have allowed it to obtainbest-in-market terms for investors, while using financing brokers sparingly. The firm’s skilledin-house capital markets team has closed transactions totaling $77 billion since 2010. In addition, Starwood Capital has completed a number of successful public market executions since its formation.
Design Leadership. Starwood Capital believes that it possesses an expertise in the design of real estate assets that is unsurpassed in the private equity industry. This sensibility starts at the top: Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Capital’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, is a member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame. In addition, Starwood Capital’s Head of Design was recently inducted into the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle. A number of Starwood Capital’s assets have been acclaimed for their aesthetics, which ultimately help drive value for the firm’s investors.
Strong Risk-Adjusted Performance. Starwood Capital’s disciplined investment approach has enabled it to consistently deliver strong performance across its investments since inception. During the five years ended December 31, 2018, two real estate investment programs managed by Starwood Capital completed their operations, delivering an annualized return on investment of 8% and 5%, respectively. See “Prior Performance” and “Appendix A: Prior Performance Tables” for more information on Starwood Capital’s prior programs.
Seasoned, Stable Management Team.The senior executive and investment committees at Starwood Capital has worked together for an average of 16 years, and possesses an average of 25 years of industry experience across all real estate asset classes. The key leaders for the business bring a wealth of diverse and complementary skills to their roles. We will directly benefit from the expertise of several members of Starwood Capital’s senior team who will serve as our directors and executive officers and as members of the Advisor’s Investment Committee, as applicable.
Starwood Capital’s Investment Approach
We, through our affiliation with the Advisor and Starwood Capital, seek to deliver consistent, robust returns while placing a premium on preserving capital. Starwood Capital’s team performs a comprehensive risk/return
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analysis on each potential transaction, and only invests in assets with asymmetrical return potential. Guided by common sense, discipline and the recognition that intellectual humility is the foundation of successful investing, Starwood Capital adheres to the following core principles:
Invest When New Supply Is Low. Target markets with high barriers to entry and little to no competitive supply planned or under construction. Since the economic recovery has generally been slow and steady, Starwood Capital has not seen the type of aggressive supply that would typically result from the recent rental growth and strength of the markets.
Anticipate Capital Flows. Seek to get ahead of capital flows in areas where economic growth is projected to drive tenant demand but new supply is not yet on the horizon. The Starwood Capital team has found that capital flows often influence asset valuations as much as or more than the impact of local market supply and demand trends. Once these target markets are identified, the team works on the “micro” side to pinpoint opportunities for asymmetrical return potential through value-added management.
Buy Below Replacement Cost. Buying below replacement cost offers a margin of safety, typically ensuring that no new construction/competition will be completed until values rise to justify new product. Starwood Capital’s recent transactions demonstrate that opportunities continue to arise to acquire assets at discounted prices.
Utilize Appropriate Debt to Generate Positive Leverage. Seek to use proper leverage, in amount and duration, to reflect the stability of each asset’s cash flow. In the current market, Starwood Capital can typically buy property at yields in excess of the cost of debt and generate strongcash-on-cash yields. In the event of a downturn, positive leverage would allow the investment team to be patient for a recovery, lessening the reliance on the residual value to achieve strong returns. In most cases, Starwood Capital can secure debt longer than the expected hold period, thus creating a potential asset upon exit when interest rates rise, as is expected.
Add Value to Investments throughHands-On Asset Management. Acquire under-managed or under-capitalized assets that the Starwood Capital team can stabilize and refurbish, and implement a dynamic asset management plan in order to position an investment for sale at the maximum price upon stabilization. In appropriate cases, the firm can also create a growth platform through the acquisition of complementary assets or portfolios.
Maintain Investment Discipline. Seek to enhance returns in both cyclical downturns and upswings by maintaining a disciplined approach to assets and their value. For example, prior to the market crash in 2008, Starwood Capital minimized its acquisitions and maximized dispositions of assets, whereas in subsequent years the firm shifted its focus toward a higher volume of acquisitions. Similarly, Starwood Capital took advantage of a number of distressed investment opportunities in the wake of the Great Recession but shifted toward more defensive and stable asset classes in recent years.
Investment Guidelines
Our board of directors has adopted investment guidelines for investing in our targeted property types and certain investment policies restricting certain types of investments, which are described in more detail below. Our board of directors, including our independent directors, will review the investment guidelines on an annual basis or more frequently as it deems appropriate. Our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, must approve any changes to our investment guidelines. Our board of directors may revise our investment guidelines without the approval of our stockholders. However, our board of directors will not amend our charter, including any investment policies described under “Charter-Imposed Investment Limitations” below, without the approval of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, apart from amendments that do not adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of our stockholders and do not require stockholder approval under Maryland law. Finally, our board of directors and independent directors will review our investment portfolio not less than quarterly.
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Our investment guidelines delegate to the Advisor authority to execute acquisitions and dispositions of investments in properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities, in each case so long as such acquisitions and dispositions are consistent with the investment guidelines adopted by our board of directors. Our board of directors will have ultimate oversight over our investments and may change from time to time the scope of authority delegated to the Advisor with respect to acquisition and disposition transactions. In addition, under our investment guidelines our board of directors is required to approve any acquisition of a single property or group of related properties requiring a net equity investment that exceeds the greater of (i) $250 million or (ii) if our NAV exceeds $1 billion, 25% of our total NAV at the time of acquisition. A majority of our board of directors will periodically confirm that the consideration paid for property we acquire will ordinarily be based on the fair market value of the property. If a majority of our independent directors determines, or if the property is acquired from the Advisor, a director, Starwood Capital or any of their affiliates, such fair market value shall be determined by a qualified independent appraiser selected by our independent directors.
Following ourramp-up period, as further described below, we will seek to invest:
• | At least 80% of our assets in properties and real estate-related debt; and |
• | Up to 20% of our assets in real estate-related securities. |
We may not be able to achieve these allocations until we have raised substantial proceeds in this offering and acquired a broad portfolio of investments. Prior to that time (the“ramp-up period”), we will balance the goal of achieving our portfolio allocation targets with the goal of carefully evaluating and selecting investment opportunities to maximize risk-adjusted returns. Following the end of theramp-up period, we believe that the size of our portfolio of investments should be sufficient for the Advisor to adhere more closely to our allocation targets, although we cannot predict how long ourramp-up period will last and cannot provide assurances that we will be able to raise sufficient proceeds to accomplish this objective. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the actual percentage of our portfolio that is invested in each investment type may from time to time be outside the target levels due to factors such as a large inflow of capital over a short period of time, the Advisor’s assessment of the relative attractiveness of opportunities, or an increase in anticipated cash requirements or repurchase requests and subject to any limitations or requirements relating to our intention to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Identification of Investments
The Advisor will be responsible for identifying potential investments, consistent with our investment guidelines and targeted assets. The Advisor believes that it is well-positioned to capitalize on the prolific sourcing capabilities of Starwood Capital and its robust pipeline of potential acquisitions, consistent with our investment objectives and guidelines. The Advisor is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Starwood Capital, and the Advisor’s Investment Committee primarily is comprised of senior members of the Starwood Capital team.
As one of the largest privately held real estate investors in the world, with over $35 billion of equity capital invested across virtually every real estate asset class since inception, Starwood Capital benefits from a prolific sourcing engine and taps into a robust deal flow. Through its expansive network, the firm screens the vast majority of institutional real estate transactions that come to market, as well as manyoff-market opportunities— allowing the team to negotiate privately and directly with sellers, thus enhancing the ability to drive value from the investment.
To source potential investments, Starwood Capital relies primarily on its senior acquisitions team, a group of seasoned professionals who have cultivated deep relationships with lenders, investment banks and private equity firms, as well as with business partners, investors and friends of the firm. In particular, Barry Sternlicht’s relationships with corporate leaders around the globe represent a unique source of transaction flow. Starwood Capital’s broader team of investment professionals also leverages numerous contacts developed through years of experience. Much of the firm’s business is generated throughfollow-on investments with satisfied sellers,
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borrowers, joint venture partners and investors. Starwood Capital’s active pipeline of opportunities is diverse, spanning across asset classes and positions in the capital stack.
Investments in Properties and Real Estate Related-Debt
To execute our investment strategy, we intend to invest primarily in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate and debt secured by commercial real estate. Our portfolio principally will be comprised of properties, and debt secured by properties, located in the United States but may also be diversified on a global basis through investments in properties and debt secured by properties, outside of the United States, with a focus on Europe.
Apart from a primary focus on properties located in the United States, and to a lesser extent globally, we do not intend to designate specific sector allocations for the portfolio; rather we intend to invest in markets or asset classes where we see the best opportunities that support our investment objectives. These may include multifamily, office, hotel, industrial and retail assets, as well as other property types, including, without limitation, medical office, student housing, senior living, data centers, manufactured housing and storage properties. A portion of the properties that we acquire will require some amount of capital investment in order to be renovated or repositioned. We generally will limit investment in new developments on a standalone basis, but we may consider development that is ancillary to an overall investment.
Our real estate-related debt investments may include first mortgage, subordinated mortgage and mezzanine loans, participations in such loans and other debt secured by or relating to the types of commercial real estate described above. An allocation of our overall portfolio to real estate-related debt may allow us to add sources of income and further diversify our portfolio. The type of real estate-related debt investments we will seek to acquire will be obligations backed principally by real estate of the type that generally meets our criteria for direct investment. Mortgage loans are typically secured by multifamily or commercial property and are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. Mezzanine loans may take the form of subordinated loans secured by a pledge of the ownership interests of either the entity owning the real property or an entity that owns (directly or indirectly) the interest in the entity owning the real property. These types of investments may involve a higher degree of risk than mortgage lending because the investment may become unsecured because of foreclosure by the senior lender. We do not intend to make loans to other persons or to engage in the purchase and sale of any types of investments other than those related to real estate.
Ownership Interests
Our Operating Partnership or one or more subsidiary entities controlled by our Operating Partnership will acquire properties on our behalf. In many cases, we will acquire the entire equity ownership interest in properties and the entire interest in real estate-related debt investments and will exercise control over such assets. However, we may also enter into joint ventures, general partnerships,co-tenancies and other participation arrangements with other investors, including affiliates of Starwood Capital, to acquire assets. We generally will acquire fee simple interests for the properties (in which we own both the land and the building improvements), but may consider leased fee and leasehold interests if we believe the investment is consistent with our investment strategy and objectives.
Joint Ventures and OtherCo-Ownership Arrangements
We may enter into joint ventures, partnerships, or similar investments or otherco-ownership arrangements with entities affiliated with the Advisor as well as third parties for the acquisition of assets or improvement of properties to broaden our portfolio of assets. In many cases, we may not control the management of the affairs of the joint venture. A joint venture creates an alignment of interest with a private source of capital for the benefit of our stockholders. In determining whether to invest in a particular joint venture, the Advisor will evaluate the
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investment that such joint venture owns or is being formed to own under the same criteria described elsewhere in this prospectus for our selection of investments.
The terms of any particular joint venture will be established on acase-by-case basis considering all relevant facts, including the nature and attributes of the potential joint venture partner, the proposed structure of the joint venture, the nature of the operations, the liabilities and assets associated with the proposed joint venture and the size of our interest in the venture. Other factors we will consider include: (1) our ability to manage and control the joint venture; (2) our ability to exit the joint venture; and (3) our ability to control transfers of interests held by other partners to the venture. Our interests may not be totally aligned with those of our partner. See “Risks Related to This Offering and Our Organizational Structure.” We may make a substantial amount of joint venture investments, including with affiliates of Starwood Capital. Joint venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on the financial condition of joint venture partners and disputes between us and our joint venture partners.
In the event that the joint venture partner elects to sell the asset held in any such joint venture, we may not have sufficient funds to exercise any right of first refusal, right of first offer or other purchase right that we may have. Entering into joint ventures with other Starwood Capital sponsored programs will result in certain conflicts of interest. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest” and “Conflicts of Interest—Joint Ventures with Affiliates of the Advisor.”
We may enter into joint ventures with Starwood Capital, the Advisor, one or more of our directors or any of their affiliates, including other Starwood Capital-sponsored programs, only if a majority of our directors, including a majority of the independent directors, not otherwise interested in the transaction approve the transaction as being fair and reasonable to us and on substantially the same, or more favorable, terms and conditions as those received by other affiliate joint venture partners.
Due Diligence
The Advisor understands that a proper investment decision can be made only through anin-depth understanding of an asset and market. Accordingly, comprehensive due diligence will be conducted on each property or other asset that the Advisor proposes to purchase on our behalf. Before making an investment decision, the Advisor’s Investment Committee, with assistance as necessary from Starwood Capital, will engage in an exhaustive due diligence process. When a potential acquisition has been identified, a short preliminary memorandum, prepared by Starwood Capital and containing an overview and key investment attributes, will be distributed to the Advisor’s Investment Committee and discussed at such committee’s next periodic pipeline meeting. A decision then will be made whether to devote additional time and resources to the investment based upon the merits of the transaction, the probability of success and its fit within our overall investment strategy.
After a transaction passes this initial screening, the Advisor, with assistance as necessary from Starwood Capital, will apply a rigorous standard of underwriting and due diligence to the potential investment. A member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee, or a managing director or senior vice president of Starwood Capital acting on the Advisor’s behalf, will lead a typical due diligence team, directly supervising employees of Starwood Capital or an outside service provider. The Advisor is responsible for underwriting the investment and creating a financial model that allows the team to test return sensitivities and transaction structuring options.
In addition, the Advisor’s Investment Committee, with assistance from Starwood Capital’s operating personnel and asset management team as necessary, will develop market assumptions regarding such potential investment based on metrics such as rents, occupancies,lease-up and expenses. As a transaction regarding a potential investment progresses, desktop reviews are augmented with onsite asset tours, third-party reviews and the development of detailed business plans. The expertise developed through the Advisor’s relationship with Starwood Capital, and its symbiotic business lines, enhances its judgment throughout the underwriting process. These investment platforms will provide the Advisor with criticalon-the-ground intelligence that helps set the agenda for our investment strategy.
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At the completion of underwriting, Starwood Capital, or an outside service provider – as appropriate and through a detailed investment memorandum – will outline the range of potential returns and risks from the investment opportunity. Such investment memorandum will include, as applicable, an overview of the investment opportunity’s, sourcing, underlying property, joint venture partner, due diligence process, surrounding market, business plan and valuation. This memorandum, along with the valuation model, will be utilized by the Advisor’s Investment Committee to assist in its decision and is updated through closing. Such investment memorandum, valuation model and all other due diligence materials will serve as the basis for the Advisor’s initial asset management plan regarding such investment should we complete the acquisition.
Following its review of such investment memorandum, the Advisor’s Investment Committee will either approve or reject an investment opportunity. The Advisor’s Investment Committee is composed of professionals who have worked through numerous real estate investment cycles and represent each of the firm’s major disciplines. Prior to its acquisition, each of our assets will be reviewed and considered several times by a cadre of investment professionals, each of whom possesses a distinct expertise in real estate. The Advisor’s Investment Committee will ground their decision of whether to approve the acquisition of any given investment opportunity on (i) our investment guidelines and (ii) a consideration of whether such investment opportunity would complement our then-current portfolio given our broader investment objectives and strategy.
When conducting due diligence, the Advisor, and Starwood Capital acting on the Advisor’s behalf, often will use third parties to augment itsin-house valuation, legal and accounting teams as well as to assist in any assessment of environmental, structural and insurance issues. All third parties work closely with and under the supervision of the professionals of the Advisor and Starwood Capital, as applicable.
In connection with rigorous due diligence process described above, the Advisor will ensure that the following processes are conducted with respect to each investment opportunity considered by its Investment Committee and Mr. Sternlicht:
• | Financial Due Diligence. A preliminary review of each investment opportunity will be conducted in order to screen the attractiveness of each transaction. The preliminary review is followed by an initial projection based on macro- and micro-economic analyses. Projection assumptions generally are developed from analysis of historical operating performance, discussions with local real estate contacts or sector experts and a review of published sources and data from the firm is other portfolios. If the Advisor deems appropriate, further due diligence will be conducted, as described below. |
• | Verification Audit of Books and Records. Third-party accounting consultants will be used as deemed necessary to review relevant books and records, confirm cash flow information provided by the seller and conduct other similar types of analysis. |
• | Physical Due Diligence. An analysis of environmental and engineering matters will be prepared by third-party consultants. Conclusions from such consultants, as reflected in their environmental and engineering reports, will be incorporated into the financial projection analysis regarding such opportunity. Additionally, the Advisor will investigate each investment opportunity in the context of comparable properties to assess relative market position, functionality and obsolescence. |
• | Legal and Tax Due Diligence. The Advisor will work closely with outside counsel to review diligence materials and to negotiate applicable legal and property specific documents pertaining to any investment opportunity (e.g., loan documents, leases, management agreements, purchase contracts, etc.). Additionally, the Advisor will work with internal and external tax advisors to structure investments in an efficient manner. |
The Advisor will not move forward on an investment if it does not satisfy our investment criteria.
Dispositions
We will maintain the flexibility required to pursue a number of different exit strategies for our investments, including: the sale of an individual asset, the sale of our entire portfolio or the sale of an operating platform. The
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Advisor will underwrite most of our investment opportunities assuming a sale of individual assets following a five to seven year holding period. The Advisor will continuously monitor the performance of each of our investments, and the surrounding market, in order to identify the most opportune time to dispose of such asset. The Advisor’s Investment Committee will analyze and consider potential dispositions at its periodic portfolio review meetings. Prior to a disposal, the Advisor, with assistance as necessary from Starwood Capital, its affiliates or an outside service provider, will present a disposition memorandum to the Advisor’s Investment Committee explaining the reasons for a sale—including a hold vs. sell analysis, an overview of new opportunities entering the market, a discussion of refinancing options and an evaluation of the potential impact of macroeconomic factors. The asset sale will be approved or rejected by the Investment Committee.
When determining whether to sell a particular asset, the Advisor will take the following steps:
• | Evaluate Condition of the Property. Evaluate whether the asset is in the appropriate condition for a successful sale. |
• | Assess Returns from the Property. Assess the returns from each investment to determine whether the expected sale price exceeds the net present value of the projected cash flows of the property, i.e., hold vs. sell analysis. |
• | Evaluate Status of Business Plan. Evaluate whether it has successfully completed the value creation plan that was established at acquisition. |
We believe that holding our target assets for a long period will enable us to execute our business plan, generate favorablecash-on-cash returns and drive long-term cash flow and NAV growth.
Generally, we will reinvest proceeds from the sale, financing or disposition of properties in a manner consistent with our investment strategy, although we may be required to distribute such proceeds to the stockholders in order to comply with REIT requirements.
Investments in Real Estate-Related Securities
We may selectively acquire and hold real estate-related securities. Our real estate-related securities investments may allow us to maintain appropriate liquidity levels in order to satisfy monthly repurchase requests under our share repurchase plan and may serve as a cash management strategy before investing offering proceeds into longer-term real estate assets.
The Advisor has entered into an Investment Management Agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (“BlackRock”). Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock will serve as a sub-advisor to the Advisor and act as the investment manager for our portfolio of real estate-related securities and other investments that provide liquidity for our share repurchase plan, cash management and other purposes. Real estate-related securities may comprise up to 20% of our assets. As of June 30, 2018, BlackRock managed approximately $6.3 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide and is considered a high quality, financially strong investor in real estate-related securities. Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock’s fee for its services shall be paid entirely by the Advisor and not by our company.
Our real estate-related securities investments will focus on the common and preferred stock of publicly traded REITs and other real estate companies. Subject to the percentage of ownership limitations and gross income and asset requirements required for REIT qualification, we will invest in equity securities of companies engaged in the real estate sector where such investment would be consistent with our investment policies and our status as a REIT. In any event, we do not intend that our investments in securities will require us to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, and we intend to generally divest appropriate securities before any such registration would be required. We may also invest, without limitation, in securities that are unregistered
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(but are eligible for purchase and sale by certain qualified institutional buyers) or are held by control persons of the issuer and securities that are subject to contractual restrictions on their resale. However, we may only invest in equity securities if a majority of our directors, including a majority of the independent directors, not otherwise interested in the transaction approves such investment as being fair, competitive and commercially reasonable.
Equity securities in the real estate sector include those issued by REITs and similar tax transparent entities; real estate operating companies, or REOCs, and other real estate related companies that, as their primary business, own, develop, operate or finance real estate in the United States. Equity securities issued by REITs, REOCs and other real estate related companies include any stapled security or any issued security of an equity nature of a unit trust company that derives the majority of its earnings from real estate activities. REOCs and other real estate related companies in which we invest typically will either have at least 50% of their assets in real estate or related operations, or derive at least 50% of their revenues from such sources. Our real estate equity securities portfolio may consist of securities investments of different types of REITs, such as equity or mortgage REITs. Equity REITs buy real estate and pay investors from the rents they receive and from any profits on the sale of their properties. Mortgage REITs lend money to real estate companies and pay investors from the interest they receive on those loans. Hybrid REITs engage in owning real estate and making real estate based loans. While we expect that our real estate-related securities portfolio will be invested primarily in equity REITs, in changing market conditions we may invest more significantly in other types of REITs. We may also acquire exchange-traded funds and mutual funds focused on REITs and real estate companies.
Subject to the limitations described above and as part of our real estate-related investment strategy, we may invest in CMBS. CMBS may include multi-issuer CMBS, and single-issuer CMBS in each case, relating to real estate-related companies or assets. In a typical multi-issuer CMBS issuance, one or more mortgage loans of varying size, asset type (including, but not limited to, office, retail, multifamily, hospitality, industrial and single-family rental), and geography are pooled and transferred to a trust. The trust then issues a series of bonds that vary in duration, payment priority and yield. Then rating agencies (such as Moody’s, S&P or Fitch) assign credit ratings to the various bond classes ranging from investment grade to below investment grade.
Issuing Securities for Property
Subject to limitations contained in our charter, we may issue, or cause to be issued, shares of our stock or limited partnership units in our Operating Partnership in any manner (and on such terms and for such consideration) in exchange for real estate. Our existing stockholders have no preemptive rights to purchase any such shares of our stock or limited partnership units, and any such issuance might cause a dilution of a stockholder’s initial investment. We may enter into additional contractual arrangements with contributors of property under which we would agree to repurchase a contributor’s units for shares of our common stock or cash, at the option of the contributor, at specified times. Although we may enter into such transactions, we do not currently intend to do so.
Investment Process for Real Estate-Related Securities
To the extent that we make investments in real-estate related securities, the following is a brief summary of certain key aspects of the general process the Advisor expects to utilize in connection with such investments:
• | Fundamental Analysis. The Advisor expects to utilize anasset-by-asset valuation approach to evaluate potential investments with a focus on underlying cash flow projections, replacement costs andmarket-by-market supply/demand trends. |
• | Disciplined Investment Approach. The Advisor expects to employ conservative underwriting and rigorous due diligence with respect to each investment while carefully assessing the impact of certain potential downside scenarios. |
• | Proprietary Knowledge and Relationships. The Advisor expects to utilize the knowledge, relationships and expertise of the existing Starwood Capital operating team to evaluate the sponsorship and collateral of potential investments. |
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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Other Short-Term Investments
We intend to hold cash, cash equivalents and other short-term investments. These types of investments may include the following, to the extent consistent with our intended qualification as a REIT:
• | Money market instruments, cash and other cash equivalents (such as high-quality short-term debt instruments, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, repurchase agreements, interest- bearing time deposits and credit rated corporate debt securities); |
• | U.S. government or government agency securities; and |
• | Credit-rated corporate debt or asset-backed securities of U.S. or foreign entities, or credit-rated debt securities of foreign governments or multi-national organizations. |
Other Investments
We may, but do not presently intend to, make investments other than as described above. At all times, we intend to make investments in such a manner consistent with maintaining our qualification as a REIT under the Code. We do not intend to underwrite securities of other issuers.
Borrowing Policies
We intend to use financial leverage to provide additional funds to support our investment activities. This allows us to make more investments than would otherwise be possible, resulting in a broader portfolio. Subject to the limitation on indebtedness for money borrowed in our charter described below, our target leverage ratio after ourramp-up period is in the range of 50% to 65% of our gross real estate assets (measured using the greater of fair market value and cost of gross real estate assets, including equity in our real-estate related debt and real estate-related securities portfolios), inclusive of property-level and entity-level debt net of cash, but excluding debt on our real-estate related debt and real estate-related securities portfolios. Indebtedness incurred (i) in connection with funding a deposit in advance of the closing of an investment or (ii) as other working capital advances, will not be included as part of the calculation above. Furthermore, the refinancing of any amount of existing indebtedness will not be deemed to constitute incurrence of new indebtedness so long as no additional amount of net indebtedness is incurred in connection therewith (excluding the amount of transaction expenses associated with such refinancing).
Our real estate-related securities portfolio may have embedded leverage, including through the use of reverse repurchase agreements and derivatives, including, but not limited to, total return swaps, securities lending arrangements and credit default swaps. During ourramp-up period, as well as during times of increased investment and capital market activity, but subject to the limitation on indebtedness for money borrowed in our charter described below, we may employ greater leverage in order to quickly build a broader portfolio of assets. We may leverage our portfolio by assuming or incurring secured or unsecured property-level or entity-level debt. An example of property-level debt is a mortgage loan secured by an individual property or portfolio of properties incurred or assumed in connection with our acquisition of such property or portfolio of properties. An example of entity-level debt is a line of credit obtained by us or our Operating Partnership. In an effort to provide for a ready source of liquidity to fund repurchases of shares of our common stock in the event that repurchase requests exceed our operating cash flows and net proceeds from our continuous offering, we may decide to seek to obtain additional lines of credit under which we would reserve borrowing capacity. Borrowings under our current line of credit or any future lines of credit may be used not only to repurchase shares, but also to fund acquisitions or for any other corporate purpose.
Our actual leverage level will be affected by a number of factors, some of which are outside our control. Significant inflows of proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock generally will cause our leverage as a percentage of our net assets, or our leverage ratio, to decrease, at least temporarily. Significant outflows of equity as a result of repurchases of shares of our common stock generally will cause our leverage ratio to
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increase, at least temporarily. Our leverage ratio will also increase or decrease with decreases or increases, respectively, in the value of our portfolio. If we borrow under a line of credit to fund repurchases of shares of our common stock or for other purposes, our leverage would increase and may exceed our target leverage. In such cases, our leverage may remain at the higher level until we receive additional net proceeds from our continuous offering or sell some of our assets to repay outstanding indebtedness.
Our board of directors reviews our aggregate borrowings at least quarterly. In connection with such review, our board of directors may determine to modify our target leverage ratio in light of then-current economic conditions, relative costs of debt and equity capital, fair values of our properties, general conditions in the market for debt and equity securities, growth and investment opportunities or other factors. We may exceed our targeted leverage ratio at times if the Advisor deems it advisable for us. For example, if we fund a repurchase under a line of credit, we will consider actual borrowings when determining whether we are at our leverage target, but not unused borrowing capacity. If, therefore, we are at a leverage ratio in the range of 50% to 65% and we borrow additional amounts under a line of credit, or if the value of our portfolio decreases, our leverage could exceed the range of 50% to 65% of our gross real estate assets. In the event that our leverage ratio exceeds our target, regardless of the reason, we will thereafter endeavor to manage our leverage back down to our target.
There is no limit on the amount we may borrow with respect to any individual property or portfolio. However, under our charter we may not incur indebtedness for money borrowed in an amount exceeding 300% of the cost of our net assets, which approximates borrowing 75% of the cost of our investments. This limitation includes indebtedness for money borrowed with respect to our securities portfolio. “Net assets” is defined as our total assets other than intangibles valued at cost (prior to deducting depreciation, reserves for bad debts and othernon-cash reserves) less total liabilities. However, we may borrow in excess of this amount if such excess is approved by a majority of our independent directors, and disclosed to stockholders in our next quarterly report, along with justification for such excess.
Our charter prohibits us from obtaining loans from any of our directors, Starwood Capital or any of their affiliates, unless approved by a majority of our board of directors (including a majority of our independent directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction as fair, competitive and commercially reasonable and on terms and conditions not less favorable than comparable loans between unaffiliated parties under the same circumstances.
Temporary Strategies;Ramp-Up Period
Before we have raised substantial proceeds in this offering and acquired a broad portfolio of equity real estate investments, during the period in which the net proceeds of this offering are being invested or during periods in which the Advisor determines that economic or market conditions are unfavorable to investors and a defensive strategy would benefit us, we may temporarily depart from our investment strategy. During these periods, subject to compliance with the Investment Company Act, we may deviate from our target allocations and invest less than 80% of our assets in properties and real estate-related debt or greater than 20% of our assets in real estate-related securities, or invest all or any portion of our assets in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest that are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities;non-U.S. government securities that have received the highest investment grade credit rating; certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan association; commercial paper; bankers’ acceptances; fixed time deposits; shares of money market funds; credit-linked notes; repurchase agreements with respect to any of the foregoing; or any other fixed income securities that the Advisor considers consistent with this strategy. It is impossible to predict when, or for how long, the Advisor will use these alternative strategies. There can be no assurance that such strategies will be successful.
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Charter-Imposed Investment Limitations
Our charter places numerous limitations on us with respect to the manner in which we may invest our funds.
• | We will not make investments in unimproved real property or indebtedness secured by a deed of trust or mortgage loans on unimproved real property in excess of 10% of our total assets. Unimproved real property means a property in which we have an equity interest that was not acquired for the purpose of producing rental or other income, that has no development or construction in process and for which no development or construction is planned, in good faith, to commence within one year; |
• | We will not invest in commodities or commodity futures contracts (which term does not include derivatives related tonon-commodity investments, including futures contracts when used solely for the purpose of hedging in connection with our ordinary business of investing in real estate assets, mortgages and real estate-related securities); |
• | We will not invest in real estate contracts of sale, otherwise known as land sale contracts, unless the contract is in recordable form and is appropriately recorded in the chain of title; |
• | We will not make or invest in individual mortgage loans (excluding any investments in mortgage pools, commercial mortgage-backed securities or residential mortgage-backed securities) unless an appraisal is obtained concerning the underlying property except for mortgage loans insured or guaranteed by a government or government agency. In cases where a majority of our independent directors determines and in all cases in which a mortgage loan transaction is with the Advisor, our sponsor, any of our directors or any of their affiliates, the appraisal shall be obtained from an independent appraiser. We will maintain the appraisal in our records for at least five years and it will be available for inspection and duplication by our common stockholders. We will also obtain a mortgagee’s or owner’s title insurance policy as to the priority of the mortgage; |
• | We will not make or invest in mortgage loans, including construction loans but excluding any investment in mortgage pools, commercial mortgage-backed securities or residential mortgage-backed securities, on any one real property if the aggregate amount of all mortgage loans on such real property would exceed an amount equal to 85% of the appraised value of such real property as determined by appraisal unless substantial justification exists because of the presence of other underwriting criteria; |
• | We will not make or invest in mortgage loans (excluding any investment in mortgage pools, commercial mortgage-backed securities or residential mortgage-backed securities) that are subordinate to any lien or other indebtedness or equity interest of any of our directors, our sponsor, the Advisor or any of our affiliates; |
• | We will not issue (1) equity securities redeemable solely at the option of the holder (except that stockholders may offer their shares of our common stock to us pursuant to our share repurchase plan), (2) debt securities unless the historical debt service coverage (in the most recently completed fiscal year) as adjusted for known changes is anticipated to be sufficient to properly service that higher level of debt, (3) equity securities on a deferred payment basis or under similar arrangements or (4) options or warrants to the directors, our sponsor, the Advisor, or any of their affiliates, except on the same terms as such options or warrants, if any, are sold to the general public. Options or warrants may be issued to persons other than the directors, our sponsor, the Advisor, or any of their affiliates, but not at exercise prices less than the fair value of the underlying securities on the date of grant and not for consideration (which may include services) that in the judgment of the independent directors has a fair value less than the value of the option or warrant on the date of grant; |
• | We will not engage in the business of underwriting or the agency distribution of securities issued by other persons; |
• | We will not acquire interests or equity securities in any entity holding investments or engaging in activities prohibited by our charter except for investments in which we hold anon-controlling interest or investments in any entity having securities listed on a national securities exchange or included for quotation on an interdealer quotation system; or |
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• | We will not acquire equity securities unless a majority of the board of directors (including a majority of the independent directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction approves such investment as being fair, competitive and commercially reasonable. |
In addition, our charter includes many other investment limitations in connection with transactions with affiliated entities or persons. Our charter also includes restrictions onroll-up transactions, which are described under “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions onRoll-Up Transactions.”
Investment Company Act Considerations
We intend to engage primarily in the business of investing in real estate and to conduct our operations, directly and through wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries, so that neither we, the Operating Partnership nor any of the subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership is required, as such requirements have been interpreted by the SEC, to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. A company is an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act:
• | under Section 3(a)(1)(A), if it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities; or |
• | under Section 3(a)(1)(C), if it is engaged, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns, or proposes to acquire, “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis, which we refer to as the “40% test.” The term “investment securities” generally includes all securities except U.S. government securities and securities of majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exemption from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. |
We intend to acquire real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities directly, primarily by acquiring fee interests in real property and by originating and acquiring real estate-related debt. We may also make investments indirectly through joint venture entities, including joint venture entities in which we do not own a controlling interest and joint venture entities in which Other Starwood Accounts may invest. We plan to conduct our businesses primarily through the Operating Partnership, a majority-owned subsidiary, and expect to establish other direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiaries to hold particular assets.
We intend to conduct our operations so that we, the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of our wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will comply with the 40% test. We continuously monitor our holdings on an ongoing basis to determine compliance with this test. We expect that the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of the wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will not be relying on exemptions under either Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. Consequently, interests in the Operating Partnership and in these subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership (which are expected to constitute a substantial majority of our assets) generally will not constitute “investment securities.” Accordingly, we believe that we, the Operating Partnership and most, if not all, of the wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will not be considered investment companies under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act.
In addition, we believe that neither we, the Operating Partnership nor any of the wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because they will not engage primarily or hold themselves out as being engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, we, the Operating Partnership and the subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership will be primarily engaged innon-investment company businesses related to real estate. Consequently, we expect to be able to conduct our and the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries’ respective operations such that none of them will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
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We will determine whether an entity is a majority-owned subsidiary of our company. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat entities in which we own at least 50% of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We have not requested that the SEC or its staff approve our treatment of any entity as a majority-owned subsidiary, and neither has done so. If the SEC or its staff was to disagree with our treatment of one or more subsidiary entities as majority-owned subsidiaries, we would need to adjust our strategy and our assets in order to continue to pass the 40% test. Any adjustment in our strategy could have a material adverse effect on us.
If we, the Operating Partnership or any of the wholly or majority-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership would ever inadvertently fall within one of the definitions of “investment company,” we intend to rely on the exemption provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, which is available for entities “primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate.” The SEC staff has taken the position that this exemption generally requires that at least 55% of an entity’s assets must be comprised of mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate, also known as “qualifying assets,” and at least another 25% of the entity’s assets must be comprised of additional qualifying assets or a broader category of assets that we refer to as “real estate-related assets” under the Investment Company Act (and no more than 20% of the entity’s assets may be comprised of miscellaneous assets).
We will classify our assets for purposes of our 3(c)(5)(C) exemption based uponno-action positions taken by the SEC staff and interpretive guidance provided by the SEC and its staff. Theseno-action positions are based on specific factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we may face, and a number of theseno-action positions were issued more than twenty years ago. No assurance can be given that the SEC or its staff will concur with our classification of our assets. In addition, the SEC or its staff may, in the future, issue further guidance that may require us tore-classify our assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If we are required tore-classify our assets, we may no longer be in compliance with the exemption from the definition of an investment company provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act.
For purposes of determining whether we satisfy the 55%/25% test, based on certainno-action letters issued by the SEC staff, we intend to classify our fee interests in real property, held by us directly or through our wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, as qualifying assets. In addition, based onno-action letters issued by the SEC staff, we will treat our investments in any joint ventures that in turn invest in qualifying assets such as real property as qualifying assets, but only if we are active in the management and operation of the joint venture and have the right to approve major decisions by the joint venture; otherwise, they will be classified as real estate-related assets. We will not participate in joint ventures in which we do not have or share control to the extent that we believe such participation would potentially threaten our status as anon-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act. This may prevent us from receiving an allocation with respect to certain investment opportunities that are suitable for both us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts. We expect that no less than 55% of our assets will consist of investments in real property, including any joint ventures that we control or in which we share control. We will treat any investments in real estate-related securities, as described on pages 2 and 4 of this prospectus, as real estate-related assets, for purposes of determining whether we satisfy the 55%/25% test.
Qualifying for an exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act will limit our ability to make certain investments. For example, these restrictions may limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to invest directly in mortgage-backed securities that represent less than the entire ownership in a pool of mortgage loans, debt and equity tranches of securitizations and certain asset-backed securities,non-controlling equity interests in real estate companies or in assets not related to real estate.
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Although we intend to monitor our portfolio, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this exemption from registration.
Our board of directors has made a finding pursuant to Rule3a-2 under the Investment Company Act related to our ability to operate as a transient investment company for a period not to exceed one year from December 21, 2018.
A change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To maintain compliance with the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exemption, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to acquire assets that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.
To the extent that the SEC or its staff provides more specific guidance regarding any of the matters bearing upon the definition of investment company and the exemptions to that definition, we may be required to adjust our strategy accordingly. On August 31, 2011, the SEC issued a concept release and request for comments regarding the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exemption (Release No.IC-29778) in which it contemplated the possibility of issuing new rules or providing new interpretations of the exemption that might, among other things, define the phrase “liens on and other interests in real estate” or consider sources of income in determining a company’s “primary business.” Any additional guidance from the SEC or its staff could provide additional flexibility to us, or it could further inhibit our ability to pursue the strategies we have chosen.
If we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan. For additional discussion of the risks that we would face if we were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to This Offering and Our Organizational Structure—Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.”
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Investments in Real Property
As of March 31, 2019, we had acquired fifteen properties with a total purchase price of approximately $423 million, excluding closing costs and related working capital. Our diversified portfolio of income producing assets primarily consists of multifamily and hotel properties, located in growth markets across the United States. The following table provides a summary of our real estate portfolio as of March 31, 2019:
Asset Type and Portfolio / Property Name | Number of Properties | Location | Acquisition Date | Ownership Interest | Purchase Price (in millions)(1) | Units / Keys | Occupancy(2) | |||||||||||||||||
Multifamily: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Multifamily Portfolio | 4 | Jacksonville/Naples, FL | January 2019 | 100 | % | $ | 99.6 | 1,150 | 95 | % | ||||||||||||||
Village at Lindsay Park | 1 | Mesa, AZ | January 2019 | 100 | % | 45.8 | 256 | 95 | % | |||||||||||||||
Capital Crest at Godley Station | 1 | Savannah, GA | January 2019 | 100 | % | 36.2 | 203 | 96 | % | |||||||||||||||
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Total Multifamily | 6 | $ | 181.6 | 1,609 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hotel: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Select Service8-Pack | 8 | FL, CO, TN, OH, AR | January 2019 | 100 | % | 229.0 | 1,057 | 80 | % | |||||||||||||||
Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel(3) | 1 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | March 2019 | 43 | % | 12.3 | 236 | 87 | % | |||||||||||||||
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Total Hotel | 9 | $ | 241.3 | 1,293 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total Investment Properties | 15 | $ | 422.9 |
(1) | Purchase price excludes acquisition costs and acquired working capital. |
(2) | Occupancy as of March 31, 2019. |
(3) | Purchase price represents our initial equity investment into the joint venture. |
The following provides descriptions of select properties in our portfolio:
Fort Lauderdale Hotel. On March 13, 2019, through an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, we entered into a joint venture with affiliates of Dovehill Capital Management, or Dovehill, which has a long working history with our sponsor, to acquire the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel (the “Fort Lauderdale Property”),a 236-room hotel located on a 3.31 acre site on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Following the acquisition of the Fort Lauderdale Property by the joint venture from affiliates of Noble Investment Group, we will own a position in the Fort Lauderdale Property for which we paid approximately $12 million and received a 43% interest in the joint venture. The opportunity to acquire the Fort Lauderdale Property was presented to us onan off-market basis and neither Dovehill nor Noble Investment Group is affiliated with us, our advisor or any of our affiliates. Our investment is defensively structured and includes attractive yield support from Dovehill and certain of its principals for the first five years of the investment. Our investment was funded by cash and the acquisition of the Fort Lauderdale Property was funded with cash and new property-level indebtedness provided by Barclays Bank. The table below includes certain historical information with respect to the average occupancy, the average daily rate and the revenue per available room of the Fort Lauderdale Property.
Year | Average Occupancy Per Night | Average Daily Rate | Revenue Per Available Room | |||||||||
2015 | 80.0 | % | $ | 156 | $ | 124 | ||||||
2016 | 80.3 | % | $ | 167 | $ | 134 | ||||||
2017(1) | 84.5 | % | $ | 171 | $ | 144 | ||||||
2018 | 82.6 | % | $ | 178 | $ | 147 |
(1): | Note that 2017 occupancy was inflated since some competitive properties were briefly shuttered to repair Hurricane Irma-related damage. |
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The Fort Lauderdale Property is a 12 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which has been the fastest growing airport in the United States from 2014-2018 with a 9.9% compound annual growth rate and is currently undergoing a $2.3 billion expansion to increase its gate capacity by 53% from 62 to 95. The Fort Lauderdale Property is within walking distance of Port Everglades, the third busiest cruise port in the world. The Property will be managed by Wurzak Hotel Group.
Noble Hotel Portfolio. On each of January 10, 2019, January 11, 2019 and January 15, 2019, through our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, we acquired a fee simple interest in hotel properties which together comprise a U.S.-based select service hotel portfolio (the “Noble Portfolio”) from affiliates of Noble Investment Group, which is not affiliated with us, our Advisor or any of our affiliates. The Noble Portfolio is a fully renovated, premium-branded, stable select service portfolio totaling 1,057 hotel rooms, comprised of eight hotels located primarily in Florida and Colorado. The Noble Portfolio was acquired in a seriesof off-market transactions for $229 million, excluding closing costs and related working capital, which represents anapproximately 5-10% discount to replacement cost in the respective markets. The table below includes certain historical information with respect to the average occupancy, the average daily rate and the revenue per available room of the Noble Portfolio.
Year | Average Occupancy Per Night | Average Daily Rate | Revenue Per Available Room | |||||||||
2015(1) | 75.6 | % | $ | 128 | $ | 97 | ||||||
2016 | 79.6 | % | $ | 136 | $ | 108 | ||||||
2017 | 81.1 | % | $ | 137 | $ | 111 | ||||||
2018(2) | 79.9 | % | $ | 134 | $ | 107 |
(1): | Operating metrics are understated as the Hyatt Place Boulder opened midway through 2015. |
(2): | 2018 performance is normalizing from an inflated 2017 due to hurricanes in the Florida area which benefitted certain Noble Portfolio properties in 2017 and the Hyatt Place Boulder experienced temporary disruption in 2018 from management turnover prior to our ownership. |
The hotels in the Noble Portfolio are well located in high growth markets. On a weighted average basis, the markets in the Noble Portfolio have grown at double the pace of the broader U.S. in both population and employment over the last five years. Approximately 30% of the Noble Portfolio’s income comes from two properties located in Tampa, Florida, each of which is in close proximity to the Tampa Airport, which is undergoing an approximately $2 billion renovation and expansion. Approximately 20% of the Noble Portfolio’s income comes from a property located in Boulder, Colorado, which is in close proximity to both the expanding Google LLC presence as well as threemajor mixed-use developments. Additionally, approximately 20% of the Noble Portfolio’s income comes from two properties located in Fort Myers, Florida, where the metropolitan statistical area has had the highest population growth in Florida at four times the broader U.S. growth rate. The remaining approximately 30% of the Noble Portfolio’s income comes from properties located in attractive submarkets with stable and consistent demand drivers including Knoxville, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Cleveland, Ohio. The Noble Portfolio is high quality, has a weighted average of just three years since the most recent renovation, and will require minimal capital in the short to medium term. We acquired the Noble Portfolio free of any management encumbrances, offering us both the full flexibility to improve the Noble Portfolio’s performance going forward and the ability to take advantage of the proprietary manager relationships of our Advisor.
We funded the acquisition of the Noble Portfolio with a combination of cash on hand (which primarily consists of proceeds from our public offering), the assumption of existing property-level debt for six of the eight hotel properties, and new property-level indebtedness provided by Deutsche Bank for the remaining two hotel properties.
We have no plans for material capital improvements and we believe the hotels in the Noble Portfolio are adequately covered by insurance and suitable for their intended purposes as hotels. The hotels in the Noble
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Portfolio will face competition from similarly situated hotels in the area. We will depreciate buildings based upon an estimated useful life of 40 years and furniture, fixtures, equipment and site improvements for 3 to 15 years. At acquisition, the estimated annual real estate taxes on the hotels in the Noble Portfolio total approximately $2.4 million.
Florida Multifamily Portfolio. On January 3, 2019, we acquired a multifamily portfolio asset (the “Florida Multifamily Portfolio”) from an affiliate of our Advisor for approximately $100 million, excluding closing costs and related working capital. The Florida Multifamily Portfolio is a garden style multifamily portfolio totaling 1,150 units and comprised of two properties located in Jacksonville, Florida and two properties located in Naples, Florida. An affiliate of our Advisor acquired the Florida Multifamily Portfolio on October 5, 2018 from an unaffiliated third party for approximately $100 million, excluding closing costs. The Florida Multifamily Portfolio was 98% leased as of its acquisition by our Advisor’s affiliate. Each property in the Florida Multifamily Portfolio is well-located within a fast growing market in Florida that is projected to grow at among the highest rates in the country for population and employment growth. We believe these markets benefit from attractive fundamentals, as each of Jacksonville and Naples saw their populations increase at a rate nearly double the national average over the last year. Each of the Jacksonville properties islocated near I-295, the beltway encircling the Jacksonville metro area that connectsto the I-95 interstate, the primary north-south roadway along Florida’s east coast. Similarly, each of the Naples properties is in close proximityto the I-75 interstate, the primary north-south roadway through Southwest Florida and the major east-west roadway connecting Naples to Fort Lauderdale and Southeast Florida.
Phoenix Multifamily Property. On January 3, 2019, we acquired a multifamily property (the “Phoenix Property”) from an affiliate of our Advisor for $46 million, excluding closing costs. The Phoenix Property is a high-quality, garden style multifamily property totaling 256 units and located in Mesa, Arizona, the largest suburb of the Phoenix metropolitan area. An affiliate of our Advisor acquired the Phoenix Property on June 29, 2018 from an unaffiliated third party for approximately $46 million, excluding closing costs and related working capital. The Phoenix Property was 98% leased as of its acquisition by our Advisor’s affiliate. It is centrally located in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area, with proximity to major transportation nodes,including the I-60 interstate (the primary east-west roadway to Tempe and downtown Phoenix), and surrounded by amenities including two shopping centers totaling 1.2 million square feet. We believe that the Phoenix market benefits from attractive fundamentals. New housing supply in the market is more than 50% below the long-term average while over the past five years, population growth in Phoenix has been more than double the national average.
Savannah Multifamily Property. On January 3, 2019, we acquired a multifamily property (the “Savannah Property”) from an affiliate of our Advisor for $36 million, excluding closing costs. The Savannah Property is ahigh-quality, new-construction multifamily property located in Savannah, Georgia, with close proximity to downtown, totaling 203 units. An affiliate of our Advisor acquired the Savannah Property on July 19, 2018 from an unaffiliated third party for approximately $36 million, excluding closing costs and related working capital. The Savannah Property was completed in 2017 and was 94% occupied as of its acquisition by our Advisor’s affiliate. We believe that this asset will continue to benefit from attractive fundamentals in the Savannah market, such as the continued growth of the Port of Savannah, the fourth largest and fastest growing port in the US, and a growing employment base (employment base in Savannah grew 3.0% in 2017, exceeding growth in the United States by 150 basis points).
Our board of directors previously reviewed information regarding the proposed acquisition of the Florida Multifamily Portfolio, the Phoenix Property, and the Savannah Property, and approved each such acquisition as consistent with our investment guidelines and in the best interests of our stockholders.
Investments in Real Estate-Related Securities
As of December 31, 2018, we had not invested in any real estate-related securities. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, we acquired approximately $112 million in real estate-related securities.
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Board of Directors
We operate under the direction of our board of directors, the members of which are accountable to us and our stockholders as fiduciaries. Our board of directors has retained the Advisor to manage the acquisition and dispositions of our investments, subject to the board of directors’ supervision.
We have a nine-member board. Our board of directors may change the number of directors, but not to fewer than three directors nor more than 15. Our charter provides that a majority of our directors must be independent directors, except for a period of up to 60 days after the death, removal or resignation of an independent director pending the election of a successor independent director. Consistent with the NASAA REIT Guidelines, our charter defines an independent director as a director who is not and has not for the last two years been associated, directly or indirectly, with Starwood Capital. A director is deemed to be associated with Starwood Capital if he or she owns any interest (other than an interest in us or an immaterial interest in an affiliate of us) in, is employed by, is an officer or director of, or has any material business or professional relationship with Starwood Capital, the Advisor or any of their affiliates, performs services (other than as a director) for us, or serves as a director or trustee for more than three REITs sponsored by Starwood Capital or advised by the Advisor. A business or professional relationship will be deemed material per se if the gross revenue derived by the director from Starwood Capital exceeds 5% of (1) the director’s annual gross revenue derived from all sources during either of the last two years or (2) the director’s net worth on a fair market value basis. An indirect relationship is defined to include circumstances in which the director’s spouse, parents, children, siblings, mothers- orfathers-in-law, sons- ordaughters-in-law or brothers- orsisters-in-law is or has been associated with Starwood Capital. Our charter requires that a director have at least three years of relevant experience and demonstrate the knowledge required to successfully acquire and manage the type of assets that we intend to acquire to serve as a director. Our charter also requires that at all times at least one of our independent directors must have at least three years of relevant real estate experience. Our charter and bylaws have been ratified by our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors.
For so long as the Advisory Agreement is in effect, the Advisor has the right to nominate, subject to the approval of such nomination by our board of directors, three affiliated directors to the slate of directors to be voted on by our stockholders at our annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that such number of director nominees shall be reduced as necessary by a number that will result in a majority of directors being independent of Starwood Capital. Our board of directors must also consult with the Advisor in connection with (i) its selection of each independent director for nomination to the slate of directors to be voted on at the annual meeting of stockholders, and (ii) filling any vacancies created by the removal, resignation, retirement or death of any director.
Each director will serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. Although the number of directors may be increased or decreased, a decrease may not shorten the term of any incumbent director. Any director may resign at any time or may be removed with or without cause by the stockholders upon the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. The notice of a special meeting called to remove a director must indicate that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to determine if the director shall be removed. A vacancy created by an increase in the number of directors or by the death, resignation, removal, adjudicated incompetence or other incapacity of a director may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining directors, or in the case of election of an independent director, after nomination by a majority of the remaining independent directors (if any remaining directors are independent directors). Any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred.
Our board of directors generally will meet quarterly or more frequently if necessary, in addition to meetings of any committees of the board of directors described below. Our directors are not required to devote all of their
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time to our business and are only required to devote the time to our business as their duties may require. Consequently, in the exercise of their fiduciary responsibilities, our directors will rely heavily on the Advisor and on information provided by the Advisor. Our directors have a fiduciary duty to our stockholders to supervise the relationship between us and the Advisor. Our board of directors is empowered to fix the compensation of all officers and approve the payment of compensation to directors for services rendered to us.
Our board of directors has adopted written policies on investments and borrowings, the general terms of which are set forth in this prospectus. The board of directors may revise these policies or establish further written policies on investments and borrowings and will monitor our administrative procedures, investment operations and performance to ensure that the policies are fulfilled and are in the best interests of our stockholders. Our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, will review our investment policies with sufficient frequency, and at least annually, to determine that they are in the best interest of our stockholders.
Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and executive officers are set forth below.
Name | Age | Position | ||||
Barry S. Sternlicht | 58 | Chairman of the Board | ||||
John P. McCarthy, Jr. | 57 | Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ||||
Christopher D. Graham | 44 | Chief Investment Officer and Director | ||||
Dave Guiteau | 44 | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | ||||
Matthew S. Guttin | 40 | Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary | ||||
Sean Harris | 35 | Manager of Acquisitions | ||||
Mark Deason | 41 | Head of Asset & Portfolio Management and Director | ||||
Richard D. Bronson | 74 | Independent Director | ||||
David B. Henry | 70 | Independent Director | ||||
Robin Josephs | 59 | Independent Director | ||||
Dale Anne Reiss | 71 | Independent Director | ||||
James E. Walker | 56 | Lead Independent Director |
Barry S. Sternlicht has served as the Chairman of our board of directors since our formation in June 2017. He has been the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Capital Group, a privately-held global investment firm with over $63 billion in assets under management and an affiliate of the Company, since its formation in 1991. He also serves as the Chairman of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: STWD) (“Starwood Property Trust”) the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Capital Group Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor and an affiliate of the Company. Over the past 27 years, Mr. Sternlicht has structured investment transactions with an aggregate asset value in excess of $100 billion. From 1995 to 2005, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., an NYSE-listed hotel and leisure company that he founded. Mr. Sternlicht is the former Chairman of the Board of TRI Pointe Group (NYSE: TPH) and the former Chairman of the Board of Baccarat S.A., a crystal maker headquartered in Baccarat, France. In 2008, Mr. Sternlicht founded and became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SH Group, a hotel management company that owns and manages the Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and 1 Hotels brands. Mr. Sternlicht is also on the Board of Directors of Invitation Homes (NYSE: INVH) (“Invitation Homes”) and The Estée Lauder Companies (NYSE: EL), as well as the Real Estate Roundtable and A.S. Roma, the professional Italian football club based in Rome. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH) and as the co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Starwood Waypoint Homes, a predecessor company of Invitation Homes. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Robin Hood Foundation (of which he is the former Chairman), the Dreamland Film & Performing Arts Center and the Executive Advisory Board of Americans for the Arts. He is a member of
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the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation Trustee Council, the World Presidents Organization and the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Sternlicht received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, with honors from Brown University. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree with distinction from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Sternlicht provides our board of directors with a wealth of investment management experience along with extensive experience in real estate finance and development, and our board of directors believes Mr. Sternlicht provides a valuable perspective as its Chairman.
John P. McCarthy, Jr. has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since our formation in June 2017 and as a member of our board of directors and the Advisor’s Investment Committee since November 2017. Mr. McCarthy has also served as Managing Director of Starwood Capital since July 2015, where he is responsible for managing and expanding relationships with Starwood Capital’s investors around the world. Mr. McCarthy previously served Global Head of Asset Management for Starwood Capital from March 2009 to May 2012, during which time he also served as a member of Starwood Capital’s Investment Committee. Prior to rejoining Starwood Capital, Mr. McCarthy served as Deputy Head of Europe for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”) from June 2012 to May 2015. During this time, Mr. McCarthy served on ADIA’s Executive and Global Strategy committees. Prior to this, Mr. McCarthy served GlobalCo-Head of Asset Management for Lehman Brothers Real Estate Private Equity from June 2005 to February 2009 and was a Partner at O’Connor Capital Partners (“O’Connor”),Co-Head of European Business and Head of European Asset Management. Prior to joining O’Connor, Mr. McCarthy previously worked for 17 years at GE Capital, where he held a variety of positions, including managing the firm’s real estate investing activities across Central Europe. Mr. McCarthy received a B.S. degree in finance from the University of Connecticut, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in accounting from Fordham University.
Mr. McCarthy provides our board of directors with extensive investment management experience, particularly in connection with international markets.
Christopher D. Graham has served as our Chief Investment Officer since our formation in June 2017, as a member of our board of directors since January 2018 and as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee since November 2017. Mr. Graham has served as Senior Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Acquisitions for the Americas at Starwood Capital since January 2013, supervising its investments in North, South and Central America. Mr. Graham is responsible for originating, structuring, underwriting and closing investments in all property types and is a member of the investment committee of Starwood Capital. At Starwood Capital, he has managed Starwood Land Ventures and overseen Starwood Capital’s investments in approximately 10,000 residential lots. In addition, he has overseen the acquisition of approximately $300 million of non-performing, single-family residential loans. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2002, Mr. Graham served as Director of the Financial Consulting Group for the Eastern Region of CB Richard Ellis (“CBRE”) in Washington, D.C. from May 1999 to September 2000, as Associate Director, Eastern Region of Investment Properties Group of CBRE from March 1998 to May 1999 and as an analyst and a consultant in the Financial Consulting Group of CBRE from July 1996 to March 1998. Mr. Graham received a B.B.A. in finance from James Madison University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Dave Guiteau has served as our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee since April 2019. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, Mr. Guiteau held various financial roles with AIG Global Real Estate, including Chief Financial Officer from July 2012 to March 2019 and as a Managing Director overseeing the financial accounting and reporting for AIG Global Real Estate’s portfolio of private equity real estate funds from September 2002 to June 2010. From July 2010 to July 2012, Mr. Guiteau served as the Chief Financial Officer of Hunter Roberts Construction Group, a New York-based general contractor. Mr. Guiteau began his career at Arthur Andersen, LLP where he was an audit manager in the firm’s real estate and hospitality services group in its New York office, focusing on public and private real estate clients. Mr. Guiteau received a B.B.A. degree in public accounting from Hofstra University. He is also a certified public accountant.
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Matthew S. Guttin has served as our Secretary since October 2017 and as our Chief Compliance Officer since our formation in June 2017. Mr. Guttin has also served as Chief Compliance Officer for Starwood Capital since August 2010. As the Chief Compliance Officer, Mr. Guttin is responsible for overseeing the firm’s regulatory and compliance program. Before joining Starwood Capital, Mr. Guttin practiced corporate finance and real estate law at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, LLP, Fried, Frank, Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP and DiSanto LLP. Mr. Guttin is an employee of Rinaldi, Finkelstein & Franklin, L.L.C., Starwood Capital’s lead outside counsel. Mr. Guttin received a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He is licensed to practice law in New York and Connecticut, and holds the Series 7 and Series 24 licenses.
Sean Harris has served as our Manager of Acquisitions since October 2017. Mr. Harris has served as an Acquisitions Associate and Assistant to Mr. Sternlicht, the Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital, since August 2016. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2016, Mr. Harris served as a Director of Acquisitions and Investment Management at Monday Properties, LLC since December 2012, where heco-led acquisitions, investment management, and capital markets. Before joining Monday Properties, LLC as an Associate in July 2010, Mr. Harris was employed by Ernst & Young LLC in the Transaction Real Estate group. Mr. Harris received B.S. degrees in finance and accounting from East Carolina University and a MAcc from the Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
Mark Deason has served as our Head of Asset & Portfolio Management since April 2019 and as a member of our board of directors and the Advisor’s Investment Committee since November 2017. Mr. Deason has served as Managing Director and Head of U.S. Asset Management at Starwood Capital since September 2016. In this role, Mr. Deason is responsible for overseeing the asset management of all non-hotel assets, as well as Starwood Capital’s development function in the United States. While at Starwood Capital, Mr. Deason has participated in investments throughout the capital structure, including commercial, hospitality and residential acquisitions and developments. Prior to becoming a Managing Director, Mr. Deason served as a Senior Vice President at Starwood Capital since January 2011. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2003, Mr. Deason worked for Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. in the firm’s real estate investment banking group, assisting west coast real estate, hospitality and gaming companies with a range of capital origination and mergers and acquisitions activities. He is a policy board member at the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics and a member of the Milken Institute and the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Deason received a B.A. degree in business economics with a minor in accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mr. Deason’s experience in asset management and acquisitions, particularly in the commercial sector, brings significant value to our board of directors in evaluating our portfolio and investment strategy.
Richard D. Bronson has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2017. Since 2000, Mr. Bronson has served as the Chief Executive Officer of The Bronson Companies, LLC, a real estate development company based in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Bronson has been involved in the development of several shopping centers and office buildings throughout the United States. Mr. Bronson serves as the chairman of U.S. Digital Gaming, an online gaming technology provider based in Beverly Hills, California, and as a director of Starwood Property Trust and Invitation Homes. Mr. Bronson previously served as a director of Mirage Resorts, Inc. and Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (NYSE: TPH) and as President of New City Development, an affiliate of Mirage Resorts, Inc., where he oversaw many of the company’s new business initiatives and activities outside Nevada. Mr. Bronson is on the board of the Neurosurgery Division at UCLA Medical Center. He is a member of the Western Real Estate Business Editorial Board. Mr. Bronson has also served as Vice President of the International Council of Shopping Centers, an association representing 50,000 industry professionals in more than 80 countries. Mr. Bronson is the founder and president of Native American Empowerment, LLC, a private company dedicated to monitoring, advocating and pursuing Native American gaming opportunities and tribal economic advancement.
Mr. Bronson’s experience and knowledge in the real estate industry provides our board of directors with valuable insight into potential investments and the current state of the real estate markets.
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David B. Henry has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2018. Mr. Henry served as Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM) (“Kimco”), a publicly traded REIT, from December 2009 to January 2016, and in other capacities at Kimco since April 2001. Before joining Kimco in April 2001, Mr. Henry served in various capacities at GE Capital Real Estate (“GE Capital”) since 1978, including as GE Capital’s Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer from 1998 to 2001. Mr. Henry also served as Chairman of GE Capital’s Investment Committee and as a member of its Credit Committee. Before joining GE Capital, Mr. Henry served as Vice President for Republic Mortgage Investors from 1973 to 1978. Mr. Henry serves on the Board of Directors of HCP, Inc. (NYSE: HCP), a publicly traded healthcare REIT; VEREIT, Inc. (NYSE: VER), a publicly traded net lease REIT; Tanger Outlet Centers (NYSE: SKT), a publicly traded shopping center REIT; Columbia Property Trust (NYSE: CXP), a publicly tradedClass-A office REIT; and Fairfield County Bank, a private Connecticut mutual savings bank. Mr. Henry is a past trustee and served as 2011-2012 Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and was a former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Mr. Henry also serves on the real estate advisory boards of New York University and Baruch College and is a past member of the Columbia University Real Estate Forum. Mr. Henry received a B.S. in Business Administration from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. from the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.
Mr. Henry’s extensive involvement with REITs which target a broad spectrum of assets helps provide our board of directors with an understanding of the market in which it competes for capital and investments.
Robin Josephshas served as a member of our board of directors since November 2017. Ms. Josephs has served on the board of directors of iStar Financial Inc. (NYSE: STAR) (“iStar”), a real estate investment and development firm, since March 1998 and served as lead director since May 2007, with duties that include presiding at all executive sessions of the independent directors and serving as principal liaison between the chairman and the independent directors. Ms. Josephs is also chair of iStar’s nominating and corporate governance committee and a member of iStar’s compensation committee. Ms. Josephs also serves on the board of directors of Safehold, Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) which had its IPO in June 2017 and invests in ground leases. She currently serves as a director, chair of the compensation committee and a member of the audit committee of MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA), which is primarily engaged in investing in residential mortgage-backed securities, and as a director and member of the audit committee and compensation committee of QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), a vertical marketing and online media company. Ms. Josephs previously served as a director and member of the audit and compensation committees of Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. (NYSE: PCL) from 2003 until its sale to Weyerhaeuser Company in 2016. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Josephs served as a managing director of Starwood Capital. Previously, Ms. Josephs was a senior executive with Goldman Sachs & Co. in various capacities. Ms. Josephs is a trustee of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation. Ms. Josephs received a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
Ms. Josephs’ previous employment as an investment banking professional and her extensive experience as a director of public companies brings valuable knowledge of finance, capital markets and corporate governance to our board of directors.
Dale Anne Reiss has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2017. Ms. Reiss served as the Global and the Americas Director of Real Estate Hospitality and Construction at Ernst & Young LLC from 1995 until her retirement in 2008. Following her retirement, Ms. Reiss continued to consult to the firm until 2011. Ms. Reiss has served as Managing Director of Artemis Advisors LLC, a real estate restructuring and consulting firm, since June 2008. Ms. Reiss has also served as Senior Managing Director of Brock Capital Group LLC, a boutique investment bank, since December 2009 and Chairman of its affiliate, Brock Real Estate LLC, which specializes in raising capital and mezzanine financing. Ms. Reiss currently serves as director, chair of the audit committee and member of the nominating/governance committee of iStar Financial Inc. (NYSE: STAR), and as a director of Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC) where she is chair of the audit committee. Ms. Reiss served as a director of CYS Investments, Inc. (NYSE: CYS) until its merger with Two Harbors Investment Corp. (NYSE:
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TWO) in 2018, and as a director and chair of the compensation committee of Care Capital Properties, Inc. (NYSE: CCP) until its merger with Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBRA) in 2017. She is governor of the Urban Land Institute Foundation where she is also as a past board member. Ms. Reiss received a B.S. degree in economics and accounting from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. in finance and statistics from the University of Chicago. Ms. Reiss is a certified public accountant.
Ms. Reiss’s more than 40 years’ experience in advising public and private real estate and hospitality companies, corporations and financial institutions in all aspects of development, investment and finance, provides our board with valuable knowledge of historic and current opportunities in the real estate market. Ms. Reiss is a financial expert.
James E. Walker has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2017 and serves as our lead independent director. From April 2008 until December 2016, Mr. Walker served as a Managing Partner of Fir Tree Partners (“Fir Tree”), a global alternative investment firm with over $10 billion of assets. Mr. Walkerco-founded Fir Tree’s real estate opportunity funds andco-led the development of Fir Tree’s real estate effort. At Fir Tree, Mr. Walker was jointly responsible for overall firm management, identified new areas of investment opportunity and led numerous activist opportunities. He was also a member of the Fir Tree’s real estate investment committee and Chairman of its risk committee. Prior to joining Fir Tree in 2008, Mr. Walker was aco-founder and Managing Partner of Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC (“Black Diamond”), a privately held investment management firm specializing in both performing andnon-performing debt. Prior to joining Black Diamond, he was a senior member of Kidder, Peabody & Co.’s structured finance group where he managed a proprietary investment vehicle. Mr. Walker began his career in structured finance at Bear Stearns & Co. in the asset-backed securities group. He holds a B.S. in economics from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
Mr. Walker’s extensive experience in real estate-related investing and the management of alternative investment vehicles provides our board of directors with valuable insight into potential investments and capital markets transactions.
Although most of the services provided to us by the individuals who are executive officers are in their respective roles as executive officers of the Advisor, they have certain duties as executive officers of our company arising from Maryland law, our charter and our bylaws. These duties include executing contracts and other instruments in our name and on our behalf and such other duties as may be prescribed by our board of directors from time to time.
Our executive officers will act as our agents, execute contracts and other instruments in our name and on our behalf, and in general perform all duties incident to their offices and such other duties as may be prescribed by our board of directors from time to time. Our officers will devote such portion of their time to our affairs as is required for the performance of their duties, but they are not required to devote all of their time to us.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our entire board of directors is responsible for supervising our business. However, pursuant to our charter and bylaws, our board of directors may delegate some of its powers to one or more committees as deemed appropriate by the board of directors, provided that each committee consists of at least a majority of independent directors. Members of each of the committees discussed below are appointed by our board of directors.
Audit Committee.Our board of directors has established an audit committee, which consists of Dale Anne Reiss, Robin Josephs and James Walker. Ms. Reiss serves as the chairperson of the audit committee and qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined by the SEC. The SEC has determined that the audit committee financial expert designation does not impose on a person with that designation any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the
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audit committee of the board of directors in the absence of such designation. The audit committee assists the board of directors in overseeing:
• | our accounting and financial reporting processes, |
• | the integrity and audits of our financial statements, |
• | our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, |
• | the qualifications and independence of our independent auditors and |
• | the performance of our internal and independent auditors. |
In addition, the audit committee selects the independent auditors to audit our annual financial statements and reviews with the independent auditors the plans and results of the audit engagement. The audit committee also approves the audit andnon-audit services provided by the independent public accountants and the fees we pay for these services.
The audit committee has adopted procedures for the processing of complaints relating to accounting, internal control and auditing matters. The audit committee oversees the review and handling of any complaints submitted pursuant to the forgoing procedures and of any whistleblower complaints subject to Section 21F of the Exchange Act.
Corporate Governance
Code of Ethics.We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees (if any), and to all of the officers and employees of the Advisor, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. Our Code of Ethics, as it relates to those also covered by Starwood Capital’s code of conduct, operates in conjunction with, and in addition to, Starwood Capital’s code of conduct. Our Code of Ethics is designed to comply with SEC regulations relating to codes of conduct and ethics.
Corporate Governance Guidelines.We have adopted corporate governance guidelines to advance the functioning of our board of directors and its committees and to set forth our board of directors’ expectations as to how it and they should perform its and their respective functions.
Compensation of Directors
We compensate each of our independent directors with an annual retainer of $65,000, plus an additional retainer of $10,000 to the chairperson of our audit committee. We intend to pay in quarterly installments 75% of this compensation in cash and the remaining 25% in an annual grant of Class I restricted stock based on the most recent prior month’s NAV. The restricted stock will generally vest one year from the date of grant. We do not pay our directors additional fees for attending board meetings, but we reimburse each of our directors for reasonableout-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending board and committee meetings (including, but not limited to, airfare, hotel and food). Our directors who are affiliated with Starwood Capital, including the Advisor, will not receive additional compensation for serving on the board of directors or committees thereof.
Independent Director Restricted Share Plan
We have adopted a restricted share plan which permits our board of directors to grant restricted stock and/or restricted stock units to our independent directors in order to: (i) attract and retain independent directors by affording them an opportunity to share in our future successes, (ii) strengthen the mutuality of interests between such independent directors and our stockholders, and (iii) provide the independent directors with a proprietary interest in maximizing our growth, profitability and overall success.
We have authorized and reserved an aggregate maximum number of 200,000 shares for issuance under the restricted share plan. The maximum aggregate number of shares of our Class I common stock associated with any award granted under the restricted share plan in any calendar year to any one independent director is 10,000.
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In the event of a transaction between us and our stockholders that causes theper-share value of our Class I common stock to change (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split,spin-off, rights offering or large nonrecurring cash dividend), the share authorization limits under the plan will be adjusted proportionately and the board of directors will make such adjustments to the plan and awards as it deems necessary, in its sole discretion, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights immediately resulting from such transaction. In the event of a stock split, a stock dividend or a combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of common stock into a lesser number of shares, the authorization limits under the plan will automatically be adjusted proportionately and the shares then subject to each award will automatically be adjusted proportionately without any change in the aggregate purchase price.
Our board of directors may in its sole discretion at any time determine that all or a portion of a participant’s awards will become fully vested. The plan will automatically expire on the tenth anniversary of the date on which it is approved by our board of directors, unless extended or earlier terminated by our board of directors. Our board of directors may terminate the plan at any time. The expiration or other termination of the plan will not, without the participant’s consent, have an adverse impact on any award that is outstanding at the time the plan expires or is terminated. Our board of directors may amend the plan at any time, but no amendment will adversely affect any award without the participant’s consent and no amendment to the plan will be effective without the approval of our stockholders if such approval is required by any law, regulation or rule applicable to the plan.
Executive Compensation
We are externally managed and currently have no employees. Our executive officers serve as officers of the Advisor and are employees of the Advisor or one or more of its affiliates. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor is responsible for managing our investment activities, as such our executive officers do not receive any cash compensation from us or any of our subsidiaries for serving as our executive officers but, instead, receive compensation from the Advisor. In addition, we do not reimburse the Advisor for compensation it pays to our executive officers. The Advisory Agreement does not require our executive officers to dedicate a specific amount of time to fulfilling the Advisor’s obligations to us under the Advisory Agreement. Accordingly, the Advisor has informed us that it cannot identify the portion of the compensation it awards to our executive officers that relates solely to such executives’ services to us, as the Advisor does not compensate its employees specifically for such services. Furthermore, we do not have employment agreements with our executive officers, we do not provide pension or retirement benefits, perquisites or other personal benefits to our executive officers, our executive officers have not received any nonqualified deferred compensation and we do not have arrangements to make payments to our executive officers upon their termination or in the event of a change in control of us.
Although we do not pay our executive officers any cash compensation, we pay the Advisor the fees described under the heading “—The Advisory Agreement.”
The Advisor and Starwood Capital
We are externally managed by the Advisor, Starwood REIT Advisors, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company. The Advisor is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group Holdings, L.P., our sponsor.
Founded in 1991, Starwood Capital is generally regarded as one of the world’s leading private real estate investment firms, with over $60 billion in assets under management. It has sponsored 15 private opportunistic real estate funds, 16co-investment entities and eight public companies since its inception. Starwood Capital also has built one of the most highly regarded and experienced teams in the real estate business, with its senior executive and investment committees working together for an average of 16 years and possessing an average of 25 years of industry expertise, across all stages of the investment cycle. The global private equity real estate publicationPERE presented Starwood Capital with numerous 2017 and 2018 honors, including:
• | Global Firm of the Year (2017); |
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• | Global Capital Raise of the Year (2017); |
• | Global Hotel & Leisure Investor of the Year (2018); |
• | North American Firm of the Year (2017 and 2018); |
• | North American Industry Figure of the Year (2017); |
• | North American Deal of the Year (2017); |
• | European Deal of the Year: Principal Hotels (2018); |
• | German Deal of the Year (2018); |
• | Nordics Firm of the Year (2018); and |
• | #3 in thePERE50 ranking of the top private equity real estate firms (2018). |
Starwood Capital has approximately 4,000 employees, exclusive of personnel employed by portfolio companies ofclosed-end funds managed by Starwood Capital. Starwood Capital’s investment professionals have broad operating experience in virtually all real estate classes, with acquisitions and asset management organized into dedicated teams by asset type to leverage expertise and maximize asset performance.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor will have contractual and fiduciary responsibilities to us and our stockholders and will be responsible for sourcing, evaluating and monitoring our investment opportunities and making decisions related to the acquisition, management, financing and disposition of our assets, in accordance with our investment objectives, guidelines, policies and limitations, subject to oversight by our board of directors. We or the Advisor may retain other service providers in connection with our operations, including, without limitation, administration, legal and accounting support. The Advisor will leverage the global resources of Starwood Capital to achieve our investment goals and objectives.
Significant investment opportunities are generally approved by the Advisor’s Investment Committee. Smaller property acquisitions are reviewed by a subset of the Investment Committee. The high level of interaction between the Investment Committee and investment professionals from the inception of a transaction to closing helps identify potential issues early and enables the team to more effectively streamline resources and workflows. The Investment Committee process emphasizes a consensus-based approach to decision making among the members. The members of the Investment Committee, along with their respective positions at Starwood Capital, are as follows:
Name | Position at Starwood Capital | |
Barry Sternlicht | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Starwood Capital | |
Chris Graham | Senior Managing Director and Head of Acquisitions for the Americas | |
Jeffrey Dishner | Senior Managing Director | |
John McCarthy | Managing Director | |
Mark Deason | Managing Director and Head of U.S. Asset Management | |
Laura Mestel Rubin | Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Management | |
Austin Nowlin | Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets for the Americas | |
Duncan MacPherson | Managing Director and Head of Debt for Europe | |
Krysto Nikolic | Managing Director and Head of Real Estate, Europe | |
Mark Keatley | Managing Director, Acquisitions | |
Brendan Brogan | Managing Director, Acquisitions |
For information concerning the background of Messrs. Sternlicht, Graham, McCarthy and Deason see “—Directors and Executive Officers” above. Information concerning the background of the remainder of the individuals named in the chart above is set forth below.
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Jeffrey Dishner serves as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee and is a Senior Managing Director at Starwood Capital, where he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s acquisition efforts on a worldwide basis. In this role, Mr. Dishner assists the team in originating, structuring, underwriting and closing investments in all property types. He has also he helped drive Starwood Capital’s ongoing expansion of operations in Europe, where compelling investment opportunities in the region continue to increase. Mr. Dishner is as a member of Starwood Capital’s Executive and Investment Committees and has been a member of the Investment Committee and board of trustees of Starwood Property Trust since 2009. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 1994, Mr. Dishner worked in the Commercial Mortgage Finance Group of J.P. Morgan & Co., where he focused on whole-loan dispositions and securitizations for various thrift institutions from 1993 to 1994. Prior to J.P. Morgan & Co., Mr. Dishner was a member of the Acquisitions Group at JMB Realty Corporation from 1987 to 1991. Mr. Dishner received a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, where he also serves on the European Advisory Board.
Laura Mestel Rubin serves as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee and has served as Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Management at Starwood Capital since January 2008, with responsibility for overseeing and reporting on the firm’s real estate opportunity funds. Ms. Rubin is a member of Starwood Capital’s Investment, Disposition and Valuation Committees. She began as a full time employee of Starwood Capital in May 2002. Ms. Rubin was previously a Vice President in Goldman Sachs & Co.’s real estate investment banking division, where she worked on both principal and brokerage transactions. She has also worked in the Chicago office of JMB Realty Corporation and Urban Development Corporation during the mid-1980s. Ms. Rubin holds a B.S. degree, summa cum laude, in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a masters degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Austin Nowlin serves as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee and is a Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets for the Americas at Starwood Capital. In this role, he is responsible for all debt capital market activities for Starwood Capital’s investments in the Americas, including, the origination, structuring, and execution of asset-level and fund/corporate-level financing activity. Since joining Starwood Capital in 2011, Mr. Nowlin has completed financings across all asset and product types, including revolving credit facilities, domestic and foreign balance sheet loans, construction financing, fixed and floating rate commercial mortgage-backed securities, preferred and mezzanine financing. He is a member of the Investment Committees at Starwood Capital and Starwood Property Trust. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, Mr. Nowlin worked at Wells Fargo & Company and its predecessor, Wachovia Securities, in leveraged finance. He began his career at Raymond James Capital, Inc., where he focused on making equity investments in multifamily assets. Mr. Nowlin received a B.A. in economics from Florida State University.
Duncan MacPherson serves as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee for European investments and is a Managing Director and Head of Debt for Europe at Starwood Capital. In this role, Mr. MacPherson is responsible for all debt capital markets activities for Starwood Capital in Europe, including financing, foreign exchange and interest rate hedging for Starwood Capital’s European investments. He is also responsible for originating, executing and managing debt investments for Starwood Property Trust and SEREF. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2012, Mr. MacPherson spent six years at Citigroup Inc., where he served as a Director on the commercial real estate finance team in London. Before his time at Citigroup, Mr. McPherson held a number of roles at Barclays Capital LLC, including trading bond options on the exotic interest rate derivatives desk and developing real-timing pricing and risk systems for the firm’s electronic trading platform. Mr. MacPherson received a B.S. in physics from the University of Edinburgh and an M.S. in information technology systems from the University of Strathclyde.
Krysto Nikolic serves as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee for European investments and is a Managing Director and Head of Real Estate, Europe, at Starwood Capital. In this role, he is responsible for helping Starwood Capital continue to expand its presence in Europe by originating, structuring, underwriting and
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closing investments in the region. Mr. Nikolic serves on Starwood Capital’s European Investment and Executive Committees. Previously, Mr. Nikolic was a Partner at TPG Real Estate, LLC where he served on its Investment and Management committees. Mr. Nikolic has also worked with Apollo Real Estate Inc., a predecessor to Ares Management, L.P., and started his career at Goldman Sachs International. Mr. Nikolic has served on the boards of multiple real estate companies across several asset classes and geographies, and has completed over $7 billion of real estate transactions in Europe. Mr. Nikolic received a B.A. and an M.A. from Cambridge University.
Mark Keatley has served as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee since November 2017. Mr. Keatley has served as Managing Director in the Acquisitions Group at Starwood Capital since January 2016. Mr. Keatley is responsible for the origination, underwriting, structuring and execution of investments in a variety of property types, with a geographic focus on the Eastern United States. He has been involved in both equity and debt investments involving apartments, office, retail, condos, industrial, hotels and land asset classes. Prior to becoming a Managing Director, Mr. Keatley served as a Senior Vice President at Starwood Capital since January 2011. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2005, Mr. Keatley worked in the acquisitions and development group at Tishman Speyer Properties, Inc. Before that, he worked as an Associate on the institutional investment sales team at CBRE, following his role as an analyst in CBRE’s financial consulting group. Mr. Keatley received a B.B.A. degree in finance from James Madison University.
Brendan Broganhas served as a member of the Advisor’s Investment Committee since November 2017. Mr. Brogan has served as Managing Director at Starwood Capital since July 2008, where he focuses on real estate acquisitions in the Eastern United States, with a concentration in Florida. In this role, Mr. Brogan has been integral in implementing Starwood Capital’s investment strategy innon-performing commercial and residential loans, and currently leads the Firm’s residential debt strategy. He has also spearheaded the Starwood Capital’s initiative in the single-family residential sector, including acquiring the portfolio of homes and loans that was combined to create Starwood Waypoint Homes, one of the largest publicly-traded investors, owners and operators of single-family homes in the United States. Prior to joining Starwood Capital in 2008, Mr. Brogan was a Managing Director in the fixed income division at The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., where he worked in the mortgage and derivatives trading area. Mr. Brogan received a B.A. degree from Harvard College.
The Advisory Agreement
Our board of directors at all times has oversight and policy-making authority, including responsibility for governance, financial controls, compliance and disclosure with respect to our company and our Operating Partnership. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, our board of directors has delegated to the Advisor the authority to source, evaluate and monitor our investment opportunities and make decisions related to the acquisition, management, financing and disposition of our assets, in accordance with our investment objectives, guidelines, policies and limitations, subject to oversight by our board of directors. We believe that the Advisor currently has sufficient staff and resources so as to be capable of fulfilling the duties set forth in the Advisory Agreement.
Services
Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is responsible for, among other things:
• | serving as an advisor to us and the Operating Partnership with respect to the establishment and periodic review of our investment guidelines and our and the Operating Partnership’s investments, financing activities and operations; |
• | sourcing, evaluating and monitoring our and Operating Partnership’s investment opportunities and executing the acquisition, management, financing and disposition of our and Operating Partnership’s assets, in accordance with our investment guidelines, policies and objectives and limitations, subject to oversight by our board of directors; |
• | with respect to prospective acquisitions, purchases, sales, exchanges or other dispositions of investments, conducting negotiations on our and Operating Partnership’s behalf with sellers, purchasers, and other counterparties and, if applicable, their respective agents, advisors and representatives, and determining the structure and terms of such transactions; |
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• | providing us with portfolio management and other related services; |
• | serving as our advisor with respect to decisions regarding any of our financings, hedging activities or borrowings; and |
• | engaging and supervising, on our and Operating Partnership’s behalf and at our and the Operating Partnership’s expense, various service providers. |
The above summary is provided to illustrate the material functions which the Advisor will perform for us and it is not intended to include all of the services which may be provided to us by the Advisor or third parties.
Term and Termination Rights
The term of the Advisory Agreement is for one year, subject to renewals by our board of directors for an unlimited number of successiveone-year periods. Our independent directors will evaluate the performance of the Advisor before renewing the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated:
• | immediately by us (1) for “cause,” (2) upon the bankruptcy of the Advisor or (3) upon a material breach of the Advisory Agreement by the Advisor; |
• | upon 60 days’ written notice by us without cause or penalty upon the vote of a majority of our independent directors; or |
• | upon 60 days’ written notice by the Advisor. |
“Cause” is defined in the Advisory Agreement to mean fraud, criminal conduct, willful misconduct or willful or negligent breach of fiduciary duty by the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement.
In the event the Advisory Agreement is terminated, the Advisor will be entitled to receive its prorated management fee through the date of termination, and the Special Limited Partner will receive a distribution of any accrued performance participation from the Operating Partnership as of the date of such termination. In addition, upon the termination or expiration of the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor will cooperate with us and take all reasonable steps requested to assist our board of directors in making an orderly transition of the advisory function.
Management Fee, Performance Participation Interest and Expense Reimbursements
Management Fee. As compensation for its services provided pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, we pay the Advisor a management fee of 1.25% of NAV per annum payable monthly. In calculating our management fee, we will use our NAV before giving effect to accruals for the management fee, performance participation interest, stockholder servicing fees or distributions payable on our shares. The Advisor agreed to waive the management fee for the first three months following December 21, 2018, the date we broke escrow for this offering.
Performance Participation Interest.So long as the Advisory Agreement has not been terminated, the Special Limited Partner will hold a performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership that entitles it to receive cash distributions (or Operating Partnership units at its election) from our Operating Partnership equal to 12.5% of the Total Return, subject to a 5% Hurdle Amount and a High Water Mark, with aCatch-Up (each term as defined under “Summary of our Operating Partnership Agreement—Special Limited Partner Interest”).
Expense Reimbursement. Under the Advisory Agreement, and subject to the limitations described below under “—Reimbursement by the Advisor,” the Advisor is entitled to reimbursement of all costs and expenses incurred by it or its affiliates on our behalf, provided that the Advisor is responsible for the expenses related to any and all personnel of the Advisor who provide investment advisory services to us pursuant to the Advisory Agreement (including, without limitation, each of our executive officers and any directors who are also directors, officers or
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employees of the Advisor or any of its affiliates), including, without limitation, salaries, bonus and other wages, payroll taxes and the cost of employee benefit plans of such personnel, and costs of insurance with respect to such personnel. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, costs eligible for reimbursement includeout-of-pocket costs and expenses the Advisor incurs in connection with the services it provides to us (including personnel expenses other than those of investment advisory personnel described above) related to (1) legal, accounting and printing fees and other expenses attributable to our organization, preparation of the registration statement, registration and qualification of our common stock for sale with the SEC and in the various states and filing fees incurred by the Advisor, (2) the actual cost of goods and services used by us and obtained from third parties, including fees paid to administrators, consultants, attorneys, technology providers and other service providers, and brokerage fees paid in connection with the purchase and sale of investments and securities, (3) expenses of managing and operating our properties, whether payable to an affiliate or anon-affiliated person, and(4) out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the selection, evaluation, structuring, acquisition, origination, financing and development of properties and real estate-related assets, whether or not such investments are acquired. Suchout-of-pocket costs and expenses will include expenses relating to compliance-related matters and regulatory filings relating to our activities (including, without limitation, expenses relating to the preparation and filing of Form PF, Form ADV, reports to be filed with the CFTC, reports, disclosures, and other regulatory filings of the Advisor and its affiliates relating to our activities (including our pro rata share of the costs of the Advisor and its affiliates of regulatory expenses that relate to us and Other Starwood Accounts)).
The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the date on which we broke escrow in this offering. We will reimburse the Advisor for all such advanced expenses ratably in 60 equal monthly installments following December 21, 2019. We will reimburse the Advisor for any organization and offering expenses that it incurs on our behalf following December 21, 2019 as and when such expenses are incurred.
The Advisor advanced all of our operating expenses incurred from July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018. We will reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. Operating expenses incurred after December 31, 2018 are paid by us as incurred.
Reimbursement by the Advisor.Commencing four fiscal quarters after we make our first investment, the Advisor will reimburse us for any expenses that cause our Total Operating Expenses, including any distributions made to the Special Limited Partner with respect to its performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership, in any four consecutive fiscal quarters to exceed the greater of: (1) 2% of our Average Invested Assets and (2) 25% of our Net Income.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that our Total Operating Expenses exceed these limits and the independent directors determine that the excess expenses were justified based on unusual and nonrecurring factors that they deem sufficient, the Advisor would not be required to reimburse us. Within 60 days after the end of any fiscal quarter for which our Total Operating Expenses for the four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended exceed these limits and our independent directors approve such excess amount, we will send our stockholders a written disclosure of such fact, or will include such information in our next quarterly report on Form10-Q or in a current report on Form8-K filed with the SEC, together with an explanation of the factors our independent directors considered in arriving at the conclusion that such excess expenses were justified. In addition, our independent directors will review at least annually the total fees and expense reimbursements for operating expenses paid to the Advisor and the Special Limited Partner to determine if they are reasonable in light of our performance, our net assets and our net income and the fees and expenses of other comparable unaffiliated REITs. Each such determination will be recorded in the minutes of a meeting of the independent directors.
Independent Directors’ Review of Compensation. Our independent directors will evaluate at least annually whether the compensation that we contract to pay to the Advisor is reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of services performed and that such compensation is within the limits prescribed by our charter. Our
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independent directors will supervise the performance of the Advisor and the compensation we pay to it to determine that the provisions of the Advisory Agreement are being carried out. This evaluation will be based on the factors set forth below, as well as any other factors deemed relevant by the independent directors:
• | the amount of fees paid to the Advisor in relation to the size, composition and performance of our investments; |
• | the success of the Advisor in generating investments that meet our investment objectives; |
• | rates charged to other externally advised REITs and other similar investment entities by advisors performing similar services; |
• | additional revenues realized by the Advisor and its affiliates through their advisory relationship with us (including the performance participation paid to the Special Limited Partner); |
• | the quality and extent of the services and advice furnished by the Advisor; |
• | the performance of the assets, including income, conservation or appreciation of capital, frequency of problem investments and competence in dealing with distress situations; and |
• | the quality of our portfolio in relationship to the investments generated by the Advisor for its own account. |
In addition to the management fee, performance participation and expense reimbursements, we have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the Advisor and its affiliates performing services for us from specific claims and liabilities arising out of the performance of their obligations under the Advisory Agreement, subject to certain limitations. See “—Limited Liability and Indemnification of Directors, Officers, the Advisor and Other Agents” below.
BlackRock Sub-Advisor
The Advisor has entered into an Investment Management Agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (“BlackRock”). Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock will serve as a sub-advisor to the Advisor and act as the investment manager for our portfolio of real estate-related securities and other investments that provide liquidity for our share repurchase plan, cash management and other purposes. Real estate-related securities may comprise up to 20% of our assets. As of June 30, 2018, BlackRock managed approximately $6.3 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide and is considered a high quality, financially strong investor in real estate-related securities. Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, BlackRock’s fee for its services shall be paid entirely by the Advisor and not by our company.
Limited Liability and Indemnification of Directors, Officers, the Advisor and Other Agents
Our organizational documents generally limit the personal liability of our stockholders, directors and officers for monetary damages and require us to indemnify and advance expenses to our directors, officers and other agents subject to the limitations of the NASAA REIT Guidelines and Maryland law. Maryland law permits a corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment and which is material to the cause of action. The Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL allows directors and
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officers to be indemnified against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred in connection with a proceeding unless the following can be established:
• | an act or omission of the director or officer was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding, and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; |
• | the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or |
• | with respect to any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe his or her act or omission was unlawful. |
A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by the corporation or in its right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses. The MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon receipt of a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification and a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
In addition to the above limitations of the MGCL, our charter provides that our directors, the Advisor and any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates may be indemnified for losses or liability suffered by them or held harmless for losses or liability suffered by us only if all of the following conditions are met:
• | the indemnitee determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct which caused the loss or liability was in our best interest; |
• | the indemnitee was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; |
• | in the case of affiliated directors, the Advisor or any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates, the liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct by the party seeking indemnification; and |
• | in the case of our independent directors, the liability or loss was not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct by the party seeking indemnification. |
In addition, any indemnification or any agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our stockholders.
Our charter also provides that we may not provide indemnification to a director, the Advisor or any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by such party unless one or more of the following conditions are met:
• | there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the party seeking indemnification; |
• | such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to such party; or |
• | a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against such party and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which our securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws. |
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Finally, our charter provides that we may pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by our directors, the Advisor and any of our or the Advisor’s affiliates in advance of final disposition of a proceeding only if all of the following are satisfied:
• | the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on our behalf; |
• | the indemnitee provides us with written affirmation of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification; |
• | the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a stockholder or, if by a stockholder acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement; and |
• | the indemnitee provides us with a written agreement to repay the amount paid or reimbursed, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined that he or she did not comply with the requisite standard of conduct and is not entitled to indemnification. |
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Pursuant to the terms of these indemnification agreements, we would indemnify and advance expenses and costs incurred by our directors and executive officers in connection with any claims, suits or proceedings brought against such directors and executive officers as a result of his or her service. However, our indemnification obligation is subject to the limitations set forth in the indemnification agreements and in our charter. We also maintain a directors and officers insurance policy.
The general effect to investors of any arrangement under which any of our controlling persons, directors or officers are insured or indemnified against liability is a potential reduction in distributions resulting from our payment of premiums, deductibles and other costs associated with such insurance or, to the extent any such loss is not covered by insurance, our payment of indemnified losses. In addition, indemnification could reduce the legal remedies available to us and our stockholders against the indemnified individuals; however, this provision does not reduce the exposure of our directors and officers to liability under federal or state securities laws, nor does it limit our stockholder’s ability to obtain injunctive relief or other equitable remedies for a violation of a director’s or an officer’s duties to us or our stockholders, although the equitable remedies may not be an effective remedy in some circumstances.
The SEC and certain state regulators take the position that indemnification against liabilities arising under the Securities Act is against public policy and unenforceable.
Our Operating Partnership must also indemnify us and our directors and officers and other persons we may designate against damages and other liabilities in our capacity as general partner.
Legal Proceedings
Neither we nor the Advisor is currently involved in any material litigation.
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We will pay the Advisor, the Special Limited Partner and the Dealer Manager the fees and expense reimbursements described below in connection with performing services for us.
We do not intend to pay the Advisor or its affiliates any separate fees for property acquisitions, dispositions, financings (except interest and other payments to the lender in cases where the lender is an affiliate of the Advisor) or development, although our charter permits us to do so, subject to certain limitations. We will, however, reimburse the Advisor forout-of-pocket expenses related to the foregoing activities to the extent such expenses are paid by the Advisor.
Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Organization and Offering Activities | ||||
Upfront Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees(1)(2)—The Dealer Manager | The Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.0%, and dealer manager fees of 0.5%, of the transaction price of each Class T share sold in the primary offering; however, such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold.
The Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class S share sold in the primary offering.
The Dealer Manager anticipates that all or a portion of the upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers.
No upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees will be paid with respect to purchases of Class D shares, Class I shares or shares of any class sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. | The actual amount will depend on the number of Class T and Class S shares sold and the transaction price of each Class T and Class S share. Aggregate upfront selling commissions will equal approximately $62.8 million if we sell the maximum amount, and aggregate dealer manager fees will equal approximately $4.8 million if we sell the maximum amount, in each case, in our primary offering, assuming that 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of each of Class T and Class S shares and that the transaction price of each of our Class T and Class S shares remains constant at $20.00. | ||
Stockholder Servicing Fees(2)(3)—The Dealer Manager | Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as stockholder servicing fees for ongoing services rendered to stockholders by participating broker-dealers or broker-dealers servicing investors’ accounts, referred to as servicing broker-dealers:
• with respect to our outstanding Class T shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the | Actual amounts depend upon the per share NAVs of our Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares, the number of Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares purchased and when such shares are purchased. For each of Class T and |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class T shares, consisting of an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum, and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class T shares; however, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares;
• with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares; and
• with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class D shares.
We will not pay a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class I shares.
The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. Because the stockholder servicing fees are calculated based on our NAV for our Class T, Class S and Class D shares, they will reduce the NAV or, alternatively, the distributions payable, with respect to the shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed | Class S shares, the stockholder servicing fees will equal approximately $8.2 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount. For Class D shares, the stockholder servicing fees will equal approximately $2.5 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount. In each case, we are assuming that, in our primary offering, 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class T shares, 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class S shares and 1/4 of our offering proceeds are from the sale of Class D shares, that the NAV per share of our Class S shares and Class D shares remains constant at $20.00 and none of our stockholders participate in our distribution reinvestment plan. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
8.75% (or, in the case of Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, a lower limit as set forth in any applicable agreement between the Dealer Manager and a participating broker-dealer at the time such Class T shares were issued) of the gross proceeds from the sale of such shares (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such shares.
Although we cannot predict the length of time over which the stockholder servicing fee will be paid due to potential changes in the NAV of our shares, this fee would be paid with respect to a Class T share (in the case of a limit of 8.75% of gross proceeds) or Class S share over approximately 6.5 years from the date of purchase and with respect to a Class D share over approximately 35 years from the date of purchase, assuming payment of the full upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, opting out of the distribution reinvestment plan and a constant NAV of $20.00 per share. Under these assumptions, if a stockholder holds his or her shares for these time periods, this fee with respect to a Class T share or Class S share would total approximately $1.11 and with respect to a Class D share would total approximately $1.75.
In addition, we will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee on the Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, in each case in a transaction in which our stockholders receive cash or securities listed on a national securities exchange or (iii) the date on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including upfront selling commissions, the stockholder servicing fee and other underwriting |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.
For a description of the services required from the participating broker-dealer or servicing broker-dealer, see the “Plan of Distribution—Underwriting Compensation—Stockholder Servicing Fees—Class T, Class S and Class D Shares.” | ||||
Organization and Offering Expense Reimbursement(2)(4)— The Advisor | The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees and expenses, due diligence expenses of participating broker-dealers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of our escrow agent and transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating broker-dealers and reimbursements for customary travel, lodging, and meals, but excluding upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and the stockholder servicing fee) through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the date on which we broke escrow in this offering. We will reimburse the Advisor for all such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. Wholesaling compensation expenses of persons associated with the Dealer Manager will be paid by the Advisor without reimbursement from us.
After December 21, 2019, we will reimburse the Advisor for any organization and offering expenses that it incurs on our behalf as and when incurred. After the termination of the primary offering and again after termination of the offering under our distribution reinvestment plan, the Advisor has agreed to reimburse us to the extent that the organization and offering expenses that we incur exceed 15% of our gross proceeds from the applicable offering. | We estimate our organization and offering expenses to be approximately $60 million if we sell the maximum offering amount. | ||
Investment Activities | ||||
Acquisition Expense Reimbursement(5)—The Advisor | We do not intend to pay the Advisor any acquisition, financing (except interest payments and market-based financing fees and costs to the lender in cases where the lender is an affiliate of the Advisor) or other similar fees in connection with making investments. We will, however, | Actual amounts are dependent upon actual expenses incurred and, therefore, cannot be determined at this time. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
reimburse the Advisor forout-of-pocket expenses in connection with the selection, evaluation, structuring, acquisition, origination, financing and development of properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities, whether or not such investments are acquired. See “—Fees from Other Services” below. | ||||
Operational Activities | ||||
Management Fee(6)—The Advisor | We will pay the Advisor a management fee equal to 1.25% of NAV per annum payable monthly. The Advisor agreed to waive the management fee for the first three months following December 21, 2018, the date we broke escrow for this offering.
The management fee may be paid, at the Advisor’s election, in cash, Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership. If the Advisor elects to receive any portion of its management fee in Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership, we may repurchase such Class I shares or Class I units of our Operating Partnership from the Advisor at a later date, at a price per Class I share or Class I unit, as applicable, equal to the NAV per Class I share as of the date of repurchase. Shares of our Class I common stock and Class I units of our Operating Partnership obtained by the Advisor will not be subject to the repurchase limits of our share repurchase plan or any Early Repurchase Deduction. The Operating Partnership will repurchase any such Operating Partnership units for cash unless our board of directors determines that any such repurchase for cash would be prohibited by applicable law or our charter, in which case such Operating Partnership units will be repurchased for shares of our common stock with an equivalent aggregate NAV. The Advisor and the Special Limited Partner will have the option of exchanging Class I shares for an equivalent aggregate NAV amount of Class T, Class S or Class D shares and will have registration rights with respect to shares of our common stock. | Actual amounts of the management fee depend upon our aggregate NAV. The management fee will equal approximately $49 million per annum if we sell the maximum amount, in each case, in our primary offering, assuming that the NAV per share of each class of our common stock remains constant at $20.00 and before giving effect to any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan. | ||
Operating Expense Reimbursement—The Advisor | In addition to the organization and offering expense and acquisition expense reimbursements described above, we will reimburse the Advisor forout-of-pocket costs and expenses it incurs in connection with the services it provides to us, | Actual amounts ofout-of-pocket expenses paid by the Advisor that we reimburse are dependent upon actual |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
including, but not limited to, (1) the actual cost of goods and services used by us and obtained from third parties, including fees paid to administrators, consultants, attorneys, technology providers and other service providers, and brokerage fees paid in connection with the purchase and sale of investments and securities, (2) expenses of managing and operating our properties, whether payable to an affiliate or anon-affiliated person and (3) expenses related to personnel of the Advisor performing services for us other than those who provide investment advisory services or serve as our executive officers. The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our operating expenses incurred from July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018. We will reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019. Operating expenses incurred after December 31, 2018 are paid by us as incurred. See “Management—The Advisory Agreement—Management Fee, Performance Participation Interest and Expense Reimbursements.” | expenses incurred and, therefore, cannot be determined at this time. | |||
Performance Participation Interest—The Special Limited Partner | So long as the Advisory Agreement has not been terminated, the Special Limited Partner will hold a performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership that entitles it to receive cash distributions (or Operating Partnership units at its election) from our Operating Partnership equal to 12.5% of the Total Return, subject to a 5% Hurdle Amount and a High Water Mark, with aCatch-Up (each term as defined herein). Such distributions will be paid annually.
The performance participation payable to the Special Limited Partner serves to provide a performance-based advisory fee to the Advisor in a direct andtax-efficient manner and is subject to the review and approval of a majority of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors.
For a detailed explanation of how the performance participation is calculated, see “Summary of Our Operating Partnership Agreement—Special Limited Partner Interest.” For a hypothetical calculation of the performance participation calculation, see “Compensation—Performance Participation Interest Example.” | Actual amounts of the performance participation depend upon the Operating Partnership’s actual annual total return and, therefore, cannot be calculated at this time. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Specifically, the Special Limited Partner will receive distributions in an amount equal to:
• First, if the Total Return for the applicable period exceeds the sum of (i) the Hurdle Amount for that period and (ii) the Loss Carryforward Amount (any such excess, “Excess Profits”), 100% of such annual Excess Profits until the total amount paid to the Special Limited Partner equals 12.5% of the sum of (x) the Hurdle Amount for that period and (y) any amount paid to the Special Limited Partner pursuant to this clause (this is commonly referred to as a“Catch-Up”); and
• Second, to the extent there are remaining Excess Profits, 12.5% of such remaining Excess Profits.
“Total Return” for any period since the end of the prior calendar year shall equal the sum of
(i) all distributions accrued or paid (without duplication) on the Operating Partnership units outstanding at the end of such period since the beginning of the then-current calendar yearplus
(ii) the change in aggregate NAV of such units since the beginning of the year, before giving effect to (x) changes resulting solely from the proceeds of issuances of Operating Partnership units, (y) any performance participation accrual and (z) applicable stockholder servicing fee expenses (including any payments made to us for payment of such expenses).
For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of Total Return will (i) include any appreciation or depreciation in the NAV of units issued during the then-current calendar year but (ii) exclude the proceeds from the initial issuance of such units. | ||||
“Hurdle Amount” for any period during a calendar year means that amount that results in a 5% annualized internal rate of return on the NAV of the Operating Partnership units outstanding at the beginning of the then-current calendar year and all Operating Partnership units issued since the beginning of the then-current calendar year, taking into account the timing and amount of all |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
distributions accrued or paid (without duplication) on all such units and all issuances of Operating Partnership units over the period and calculated in accordance with recognized industry practices. The ending NAV of the Operating Partnership units used in calculating the internal rate of return will be calculated before giving effect to any performance participation accrual and applicable stockholder servicing fee expenses. For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of the Hurdle Amount for any period will exclude any Operating Partnership units repurchased during such period, which units will be subject to the performance participation upon repurchase as described below. Except as described in Loss Carryforward below, any amount by which Total Return falls below the Hurdle Amount will not be carried forward to subsequent periods. | ||||
“Loss Carryforward Amount” shall initially equal zero and shall cumulatively increase by the absolute value of any negative annual Total Return and decrease by any positive annual Total Return, provided that the Loss Carryforward Amount shall at no time be less than zero and provided further that the calculation of the Loss Carryforward Amount will exclude the Total Return related to any Operating Partnership units repurchased during such year, which units will be subject to the performance participation upon repurchase as described below. The effect of the Loss Carryforward Amount is that the recoupment of past annual Total Return losses will offset the positive annual Total Return for purposes of the calculation of the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation. This is referred to as a “High Water Mark.” | ||||
The Special Limited Partner will receive cash distributions with respect to all Operating Partnership units that are repurchased at the end of any month (in connection with repurchases of our shares in our share repurchase plan) in an amount calculated as described above with the relevant period being the portion of the year for which such unit was outstanding, and proceeds for any such unit repurchase will be reduced by the amount of any such performance participation. |
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Type of Compensation and Recipient | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Distributions on the performance participation interest may be payable in cash or Class I units at the election of the Special Limited Partner. If the Special Limited Partner elects to receive such distributions in Class I units, the Special Limited Partner may request the Operating Partnership to repurchase such Class I units from the Special Limited Partner beginning one year after their issuance. Any such repurchase requests will not be subject to the Early Repurchase Deduction but will be subject to the same repurchase limits that exist under our share repurchase plan. The Operating Partnership will repurchase any such Operating Partnership units for cash, at a price per Class I unit equal to the NAV per Class I share as of the date of repurchase, unless our board of directors determines that any such repurchase for cash would be prohibited by applicable law or our charter, in which case such Operating Partnership units will be repurchased for shares of our common stock with an equivalent aggregate NAV. See “Summary of Our Operating Partnership Agreement—Special Limited Partner Interest.” | ||||
Fees from Other Services—Affiliates of the Advisor | We may retain third parties, including certain of the Advisor’s affiliates, for necessary services relating to our investments or our operations, including any administrative services, construction, special servicing, leasing, development, property oversight and other property management services, as well as services related to mortgage servicing, group purchasing, healthcare, consulting/brokerage, capital markets/credit origination, loan servicing, property, title or other types of insurance, management consulting and other similar operational matters. Any fees paid to the Advisor’s affiliates for any such services will not reduce the management fee. Any such arrangements will be at market terms and rates. | Actual amounts depend on whether affiliates of the Advisor are actually engaged to perform such services. |
(1) | Upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees for sales of Class T and Class S shares may be reduced or waived in connection with volume or other discounts, other fee arrangements or for sales to certain categories of purchasers. See “Plan of Distribution—Underwriting Compensation—Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees.” If all shares sold in this offering are Class S shares, our total upfront selling commissions would be approximately $135 million if we raise the maximum offering, assuming that the maximum upfront selling commission is paid for each share sold in our primary offering, the NAV per Class S share is $20.00 and we do not reallocate any shares between our primary offering and our distribution reinvestment plan. |
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(2) | We will cease paying stockholder servicing fees at the date on which, in the aggregate, total underwriting compensation from any source in connection with this offering equals 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering (i.e., excluding proceeds from sales pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan). This limitation is intended to ensure that we satisfy the FINRA requirement that total underwriting compensation paid in connection with this offering does not exceed 10% of the gross proceeds of our primary offering. |
(3) | In calculating our stockholder servicing fee, we will use our NAV before giving effect to accruals for the stockholder servicing fee or distributions payable on our shares. If all shares sold in this offering are Class S shares, our total annual stockholder servicing fees would be approximately $33 million if we raise the maximum offering, assuming that our NAV per share for Class S shares is $20.00 and no shares are issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. |
(4) | These amounts represent estimated expenses incurred in connection with our organization and this offering, including legal, accounting, printing, mailing and filing fees and expenses, due diligence expenses of participating broker-dealers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of our escrow agent and transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating broker-dealers and reimbursements for customary travel, lodging, and meals. These amounts do not include wholesaling compensation expenses of persons associated with the Dealer Manager, which will be paid by the Dealer Manager without reimbursement from us. Under no circumstances may our total organization and offering expenses (including upfront selling commissions, stockholder servicing fees and due diligence expenses) exceed 15% of the gross proceeds from this offering. |
(5) | We will pay all expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition of our investments, including legal and accounting fees and expenses, brokerage commissions payable to unaffiliated third parties, travel expenses, costs of appraisals (including independent appraisals), nonrefundable option payments on property not acquired, engineering, due diligence, title insurance and other expenses related to the selection and acquisition of investments, whether or not acquired. While most of the acquisition expenses are expected to be paid to third parties, a portion of theout-of-pocket acquisition expenses may be paid or reimbursed to the Advisor or its affiliates. Acquisition expenses, together with any acquisition fees for a particular real estate-related asset, will in no event exceed 6% of the gross purchase price of the property. |
(6) | In calculating our management fee, we will use our NAV before giving effect to accruals for the management fee, performance participation, stockholder servicing fees or distributions payable on our shares. |
Commencing four fiscal quarters after we make our first investment, our Total Operating Expenses, including any distributions made to the Special Limited Partner with respect to its performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership, will be limited during any four fiscal quarters to the greater of (a) 2.0% of our Average Invested Assets and (b) 25.0% of our Net Income. This limit may be exceeded only if our independent directors have made a finding that, based on such unusual andnon-recurring factors as they deem sufficient, a higher level of expenses is justified, and such finding is recorded in the minutes of a meeting of the independent directors. For purposes of these limits:
• | “Total Operating Expenses” are all costs and expenses paid or incurred by us, as determined under generally accepted accounting principles, including the management fee and the performance participation, but excluding: (i) the expenses of raising capital such as organization and offering expenses, legal, audit, accounting, underwriting, brokerage, listing, registration and other fees, printing and other such expenses and taxes incurred in connection with the issuance, distribution, transfer, registration and listing of our capital stock, (ii) property-level expenses incurred at each property, (iii) interest payments, (iv) taxes,(v) non-cash expenditures such as depreciation, amortization and bad debt reserves, (vi) incentive fees paid in compliance with our charter, (vii) acquisition fees and acquisition expenses related to the selection and acquisition of assets, whether or not a property is actually acquired, (viii) real estate commissions on the sale of property and (ix) other fees and expenses connected with the acquisition, disposition, management and ownership of real estate interests, mortgage loans or other property (including the costs of foreclosure, insurance premiums, legal services, maintenance, repair and improvement of property). |
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• | “Average Invested Assets” means, for any period, the average of the aggregate book value of our assets, invested, directly or indirectly, in equity interests in and loans secured by real estate, including all properties, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities and consolidated and unconsolidated joint ventures or other partnerships, before deducting depreciation, amortization, impairments, bad debt reserves or othernon-cash reserves, computed by taking the average of such values at the end of each month during such period. |
• | “Net Income” means, for any period, total revenues applicable to such period, less the total expenses applicable to such period other than additions to, or allowances for,non-cash charges such as depreciation, amortization, impairments and reserves for bad debt or other similarnon-cash reserves. |
See “Management—The Advisory Agreement—Management Fee, Performance Participation Interest and Expense Reimbursements.”
Performance Participation Interest Example
The following example illustrates how we would calculate our Special Limited Partner’s performance participation distribution at the end of the year based on the assumptions set forth in rows A through E of the table below. All amounts are with respect to the units outstanding at the end of the year. Actual results may differ materially from the following example.
A. | Beginning NAV | $ | 500,000,000 | |||
B. | Loss Carryforward Amount | — | ||||
C. | Net proceeds from new issuances | — | ||||
D. | Distributions paid (in twelve equal monthly installments) | $ | 20,000,000 | |||
E. | Change in NAV required to meet 5% annualized internal rate of return(1) | $ | 4,700,000 | |||
F. | Hurdle Amount(1) (D plus E) | $ | 24,700,000 | |||
G. | Actual change in NAV | $ | 25,000,000 | |||
H. | Annual Total Return prior to performance participation (D plus G) | $ | 45,000,000 | |||
I. | Excess Profits (H minus the sum of B and F) | $ | 20,300,000 | |||
J. | Performance participation distribution is equal to 12.5% of annual Total Return (H) because the annual Total Return exceeds the Hurdle Rate (F) plus loss carryforward account balance (B) with enough Excess Profits (I) to achieve the fullCatch-Up | $ | 5,625,000 |
(1) | Amounts are rounded to the nearest $100,000. The Hurdle Amount for any period is that amount that results in a 5% annualized internal rate of return on the NAV of the units outstanding at the end of the period. An internal rate of return reflects the timing and amount of all distributions accrued or paid (without duplication) and any issuances of such units during the period. Internal rate of return is a metric used in business and asset management to measure the profitability of an investment, and is calculated according to a standard formula that determines the total return provided by gains on an investment over time. Requiring that a minimum internal rate of return be achieved before the advisor is entitled to any performance participation is typical in institutional fee structures. |
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We pay the Advisor a management fee regardless of the performance of our portfolio. The Advisor’s entitlement to a management fee, which is not based upon performance metrics or goals, might reduce its incentive to devote its time and effort to seeking investments that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns for our portfolio. We will be required to pay the Advisor a management fee in a particular period despite experiencing a net loss or a decline in the value of our portfolio during that period.
In addition, the Special Limited Partner has the ability to earn distributions on its performance participation interest each year based on the total return of our Operating Partnership, which may create an incentive for the Advisor to invest in assets with higher yield potential, which are generally riskier or more speculative, or sell an asset prematurely for a gain, in an effort to increase short-term net income and thereby increase the distributions on the performance participation interest to which the Special Limited Partner is entitled. If our interests and those of the Advisor are not aligned, the execution of our business plan and our results of operations could be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to conflicts of interest arising out of our relationship with Starwood Capital, including the Advisor and its affiliates. Our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and our other executive officers are also executives of Starwood Capital. There is no guarantee that the policies and procedures adopted by us, the terms of our charter, the terms and conditions of the Advisory Agreement or the policies and procedures adopted by the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates, will enable us to identify, adequately address or mitigate these conflicts of interest. Transactions between us and the Advisor or its affiliates will be subject to approval by our independent directors.
See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest.”
Some examples of conflicts of interest that may arise by virtue of our relationship with Starwood Capital, including the Advisor and Starwood Capital, include:
• | Broad and Wide-Ranging Activities. The Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including a broad range of activities relating to investments in the real estate industry, and have invested or committed billions of dollars in capital through various investment funds, managed accounts and other vehicles affiliated with Starwood Capital. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates may engage in activities where the interests of certain divisions of Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor, or the interests of their clients may conflict with the interests of our stockholders. Certain of these divisions and entities affiliated with the Advisor have or may have investment objectives or guidelines similar to our investment guidelines and therefore may compete with us. In particular, Starwood Capital invests in a broad range of real properties and real estate-related debt investments via numerous different investment funds, managed accounts and other vehicles. |
• | Starwood Capital’s Policies and Procedures. Specified policies and procedures implemented by Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor, to mitigate potential conflicts of interest and address certain regulatory requirements and contractual restrictions may reduce the advantages across Starwood Capital’s and its affiliates’ various businesses that the Advisor expects to draw on for purposes of pursuing attractive investment opportunities. Because Starwood Capital has many different businesses, it is subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest, greater regulatory oversight and more legal and contractual restrictions than that to which it would otherwise be subject if it had just one line of business. In addressing these conflicts and regulatory, legal and contractual requirements across its various businesses, Starwood Capital has implemented certain policies and procedures (e.g., information walls) that may reduce the benefits that Starwood Capital expects to utilize for purposes of identifying and managing its investments. For example, Starwood Capital may |
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come into possession of material,non-public information with respect to companies that are Starwood Capital’s and its affiliates’ advisory clients in which the Advisor may be considering making an investment. As a consequence, that information, which could be of benefit to the Advisor, might become restricted to those other businesses and otherwise be unavailable to the Advisor, and could also restrict the Advisor’s activities. Additionally, the terms of confidentiality or other agreements with or related to companies in which any investment vehicle of Starwood Capital has or has considered making an investment or which is otherwise an advisory client of Starwood Capital and its affiliates may restrict or otherwise limit the ability of Starwood Capital or its affiliates, including the Advisor, to engage in businesses or activities competitive with such companies. |
• | Allocation of Investment Opportunities. Certain inherent conflicts of interest arise from the fact that Starwood Capital and its affiliates, including the Advisor (pursuant to the Advisory Agreement), will provide investment management and other services both to us and to other persons or entities, whether or not the investment objectives or guidelines of any such other persons or entities are similar to ours, including, without limitation, the sponsoring, closing and managing of Other Starwood Accounts. In particular, there will be overlap of real property real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities investment opportunities with certain Other Starwood Accounts that are actively investing and similar overlap with future Other Starwood Accounts that may be established. This overlap will from time to time create conflicts of interest. Additionally, in certain circumstances investment opportunities suitable for us will not be presented to us and there will be one or more investment opportunities where our participation is restricted. |
• | With respect to Other Starwood Accounts with investment objectives or guidelines that overlap with ours but that do not have priority over us, investment opportunities will be allocated among us and one or more Other Starwood Accounts in accordance with Starwood Capital’s prevailing policies and procedures on a basis that the Advisor and its affiliates believe to be fair and reasonable in their sole discretion, which will either be rotational or on a co-invest basis subject to the following considerations: (i) any applicable investment objectives of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts (which, for us, includes our primary objective of providing current income in the form of regular, stable cash distributions to achieve an attractive distribution yield); (ii) the sourcing of the transaction; (iii) the size and nature of the investment; (iv) the relative amounts of capital available for investment by us and such Other Starwood Accounts; (v) the sector, geography/location, expected return profile, expected distribution rates, anticipated cash flows, expected stability or volatility of cash flows, leverage profile, risk profile, and other features of the applicable investment opportunity and its impact on portfolio concentration and diversification; (vi) avoiding allocation that could result in de minimis or odd-lot investments; (vii) any structural and operational differences between us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any applicable investment limitations (including, without limitation, exposure limits, hedging limits and diversification considerations) of us and such Other Starwood Accounts, investment limitations, parameters or contractual provisions of ours and such Other Starwood Accounts; (viii) the eligibility of us and such Other Starwood Accounts to make such investment under applicable laws; (ix) any other applicable tax, accounting, legal, regulatory compliance or operational considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor and its affiliates (including, without limitation, maintaining our qualification as a REIT and our status as a non-investment company exempt from the Investment Company Act) (e.g., joint venture investments between us and an Other Starwood Account must be on the same terms and satisfy the restrictions of all participants, such as lowest leverage targeted by any participant); and (x) any other requirements contained in the corporate governance documents of us and such Other Starwood Accounts and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates in good faith. Our board of directors (including our independent directors) has the duty to ensure that the allocation methodology described above is applied fairly to us. |
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• | Currently, one Other Starwood Account invests in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States, although its portfolio is currently limited to four shopping malls in the United States and it has completed its investment activity. As of September 30, 2018, this Other Starwood Account had approximately $1.0 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value). |
• | Additionally, one Other Starwood Account, a separate account of approximately $300 million, invests primarily in stabilized, income-oriented commercial real estate in the United States and Western Europe. This Other Starwood Account’s portfolio currently consists of one hotel property and two office buildings in the United States and three office buildings in Western Europe. To the extent an investment satisfies the investment objectives of us and such Other Starwood Account on the same terms, such investment will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above; provided, however, that such Other Starwood Account generally will not participate inco-investments. As of December 31, 2018, the foregoing Other Starwood Account had approximately $18.4 million of unused capital commitments. |
• | Furthermore, one Other Starwood Account, Starwood Property Trust, focuses primarily on originating, acquiring, financing and managing commercial mortgage loans, other commercial real estate debt investments and CMBS in both the United States and Europe. Starwood Property Trust has priority over us with respect to real estate-related debt investment opportunities. This priority will result in fewer real estate-related debt investment opportunities being made available to us. |
In addition, in its property segment, Starwood Property Trust acquires (i) commercial properties subject to net leases and other similar equity investments that have the characteristics of real estate debt investments, or “debt-like equity investments” and (ii) equity interests in stabilized commercial real estate properties. As of December 31, 2018, Starwood Property Trust’s portfolio (excluding VIE assets, at fair value) consisted of approximately $14.8 billion of assets (including approximately $2.8 billion in properties, net). To the extent that Starwood Property Trust seeks to invest in real estate equity investments, (i) Starwood Property Trust will have a priority over us with respect to debt-like equity investments, and (ii) we will have a priority over Starwood Property Trust with respect to any other real estate equity investments (single asset or portfolio acquisitions) where the total acquisition cost is less than or equal to $300 million. All other real estate equity investments in which Starwood Property Trust may invest will be allocated in accordance with the investment allocation policy described above.
• | One Other Starwood Account, SEREF, focuses on originating, executing and servicing commercial real estate loans for institutional investors throughout Europe. SEREF has priority over us with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate. We do not expect to target the same commercial real estate loans as SEREF, but to the extent that we do, SEREF’s priority will result in fewer investment opportunities related to European real estate debt being made available to us. |
• | Finally, the Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts invest in “opportunistic” real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities globally (which often are under-managed assets and with higher potential for equity appreciation) and have priority over us with respect to such investment opportunities. As of December 31, 2018, there were two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts that had priority over us. These two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts had an aggregate of $7.6 billion of unused investing capacity. The priority granted to these Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts will result in fewer investment opportunities being made available to us. These two Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts, which were not fully invested as of December 31, 2018, had a total of $19.9 billion of gross assets under management (includes 100% of property value if controlled by the fund and its affiliates, otherwise shown as the fund’s proportionate share of property value). Other than (i) the priority granted to Select Opportunistic |
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Starwood Accounts, (ii) the priority granted to Starwood Property Trust with respect to real estate-related debt and debt-like equity investments and (iii) the priority granted to SEREF with respect to debt investment opportunities related to European real estate, no Other Starwood Accounts have priority over us with respect to investment opportunities. However, Starwood Capital may in the future grant priority to additional Other Starwood Accounts. |
• | While the Advisor will seek to manage potential conflicts of interest in a fair and reasonable manner (subject to the priority rights of the Starwood Property Trust and Select Opportunistic Starwood Accounts described above) as required pursuant to our charter and the Advisory Agreement, the portfolio strategies employed by the Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates in managing the Other Starwood Accounts could conflict with the strategies employed by the Advisor in managing our business and may adversely affect the marketability, exit strategy, prices and availability of the properties, securities and instruments in which we invest. The Advisor, Starwood Capital or their affiliates may also give advice to the Other Starwood Accounts that may differ from advice given to us even though their investment objectives or guidelines may be the same or similar to ours. |
• | Corporate Opportunities.Our board of directors has adopted a resolution that provides, subject to certain exceptions, that none of Starwood Capital or its affiliates, our directors or any person our directors control will be required to refrain directly or indirectly from engaging in any business opportunities, including any business opportunities in the same or similar business activities or lines of business in which we or any of our affiliates may from time to time be engaged or propose to engage, or from competing with us, and that we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any such business opportunities, unless offered to a person in his or her capacity as one of our directors or officers and intended exclusively for us or any of our subsidiaries. |
• | Investments in Different Levels or Classes of an Issuer’s Securities. From time to time, to the extent permitted by our charter, we and the Other Starwood Accounts may make investments at different levels of an issuer’s or borrower’s capital structure or otherwise in different classes of the same issuer’s securities. We may make investments that are senior or junior to, or have rights and interests different from or adverse to, the investments made by the Other Starwood Accounts. Such investments may conflict with the interests of such Other Starwood Accounts in related investments, and the potential for any such conflicts of interests may be heightened in the event of a default or restructuring of any such investments. While Starwood Capital will seek to resolve any such conflicts in a fair and equitable manner in accordance with its prevailing policies and procedures with respect to conflicts resolution among the Other Starwood Accounts, such transactions are not required to be presented to our board of directors for approval (unless otherwise required by our charter or investment guidelines), and there can be no assurance that any conflicts will be resolved in our favor. |
• | Pursuit of Differing Strategies. At times, the investment professionals employed by the Advisor or its affiliates and other investment vehicles affiliated with the Advisor or Starwood Capital may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles for which he or she exercises investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of the accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the investment professionals may place separate transactions for one or more accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment or benefit of one or more other accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles. For example, an investment professional may determine that it would be in the interest of another account to sell a security that we hold long, potentially resulting in a decrease in the market value of the security held by us. |
• | Variation in Financial and Other Benefits. A conflict of interest arises where the financial or other benefits available to the Advisor or its affiliates differ among the accounts, clients, entities, funds or |
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investment vehicles that it manages. If the amount or structure of the management fee, the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation interest or the Advisor’s or its affiliates’ compensation differs among accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles (such as where certain funds or accounts pay higher base management fees, incentive fees, performance-based management fees or other fees), the Advisor might be motivated to help certain accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles over others. Similarly, the desire to maintain assets under management or to enhance the Advisor’s performance record or to derive other rewards, financial or otherwise, could influence the Advisor or its affiliates in affording preferential treatment to those accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles that could most significantly benefit the Advisor or its affiliates. The Advisor may, for example, have an incentive to allocate favorable or limited opportunity investments or structure the timing of investments to favor such accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles. Additionally, the Advisor or its affiliates might be motivated to favor accounts, clients, entities, funds or investment vehicles in which it has an ownership interest or in which Starwood Capital or its affiliates have ownership interests. Conversely, if an investment professional at the Advisor or its affiliates does not personally hold an investment in the fund but holds investments in other Starwood Capital affiliated vehicles, such investment professional’s conflicts of interest with respect to us may be more acute. |
• | Property Management, Advisory and Other Relationships. Starwood Capital will be under no obligation to decline any engagements or investments in order to make an investment opportunity available to us. In connection with its investment advisory and other businesses, which include the delivery of property management services in connection with hotel, retail and multifamily properties, Starwood Capital may come into possession of information that limits its ability to engage in potential transactions. Our activities may be constrained as a result of the inability of Starwood Capital personnel to use such information. For example, employees of Starwood Capital not serving as employees of the Advisor or its affiliates may be prohibited by law or contract from sharing information with members of Starwood Capital. We may be forced to sell or hold existing investments, including hotel, retail and multifamily properties, as a result of investment advisory relationships or other relationships that Starwood Capital may have or transactions or investments Starwood Capital and its affiliates may make or have made. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with Starwood Capital will be precluded from providing services to the Advisor because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of Starwood Capital. Starwood Capital may receive and retain fees, remuneration, or other profits and receive compensation from such other activities, which have the potential to create conflicts of interest and which will not be shared with us or our stockholders. |
• | Starwood Capital has long-term relationships with a significant number of corporations and their senior management. In determining whether to invest in a particular transaction on our behalf, the Advisor may consider those relationships (subject to its obligations under our charter and the Advisory Agreement), which may result in certain transactions that the Advisor will not undertake on our behalf in view of such relationships. |
• | Service Providers. Certain of our service providers (including lenders, brokers, attorneys, investment banking firms and property managers) may be sources of investment opportunities, counterparties therein or advisors with respect thereto. This may influence the Advisor in deciding whether to select such a service provider. In addition, in instances where multiple Starwood Capital businesses may be exploring a potential individual investment, certain of these service providers may choose to be engaged by other Starwood Capital affiliates rather than us. |
• | In addition, it is expected that certain Starwood Capital affiliates will also provide other services in respect of our investments from time to time, including, but not limited to, operating platforms providing property management, leasing oversight and administrative corporate services. Employees of these affiliates may also receive performance-based compensation in respect of our investments. The fees and expenses of such Starwood Capital-affiliated service providers (and, if |
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applicable, their employees) will be borne by our investments and there will be no related offset to the management fee we pay to the Advisor. While Starwood Capital believes that any such affiliated service providers, when engaged, generally provide (or will provide) services at rates equal to or better than those provided by third parties (even in jurisdictions where insurance rates are statutorily determined), there is an inherent conflict of interest that may incentivize Starwood Capital to engage its affiliated service provider over a third party. |
• | Rinaldi, Finkelstein & Franklin, L.L.C., which is counsel to our sponsor and its affiliates and is owned and controlled by Ellis F. Rinaldi,Co-General Counsel and Senior Managing Director of Starwood Capital and certain of its affiliates, may provide legal services to us or the Advisor on market terms. One of our officers, Matthew S. Guttin, is an employee of Rinaldi, Finkelstein & Franklin, L.L.C. |
• | Forecastle Advisors, LLC, an accounting firm that provides tax and accounting services primarily to our sponsor and its affiliates, may provide similar services to us on market terms. |
• | Material,Non-Public Information. We, directly or through Starwood Capital, the Advisor or certain of their respective affiliates may come into possession of material,non-public information with respect to an issuer in which we have invested or may invest. Should this occur, the Advisor may be restricted from buying or selling securities, derivatives or loans of the issuer on our behalf until such time as the information becomes public or is no longer deemed material. Disclosure of such information to the personnel responsible for management of our business may be on aneed-to-know basis only, and we may not be free to act upon any such information. Therefore, we and the Advisor may not have access to material,non-public information in the possession of Starwood Capital which might be relevant to an investment decision to be made by the Advisor on our behalf, and the Advisor may initiate a transaction or purchase or sell an investment which, if such information had been known to it, may not have been undertaken. Due to these restrictions, the Advisor may not be able to initiate a transaction on our behalf that it otherwise might have initiated and may not be able to purchase or sell an investment that it otherwise might have purchased or sold, which could negatively affect our operations. |
• | Possible Future Activities. The Advisor and its affiliates may expand the range of services that they provide over time. Except as and to the extent expressly provided in the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor and its affiliates will not be restricted in the scope of its business or in the performance of any such services (whether now offered or undertaken in the future) even if such activities could give rise to conflicts of interest, and whether or not such conflicts are described herein. The Advisor, Starwood Capital and their affiliates continue to develop relationships with a significant number of companies, financial sponsors and their senior managers, including relationships with clients who may hold or may have held investments similar to those intended to be made by us. These clients may themselves represent appropriate investment opportunities for us or may compete with us for investment opportunities. |
• | Transactions with Other Starwood Accounts and Other Affiliates. From time to time, we may enter into purchase and sale transactions and joint ventures with Other Starwood Accounts. Such transactions will be conducted in accordance with, and subject to, our charter (including the requirement that such transaction be approved by a majority of our directors, including a majority of our independent directors, not otherwise interested in the transaction as being fair and reasonable and on terms no less favorable than those available from unaffiliated third parties), the terms and conditions of the Advisory Agreement (including the requirement that the purchase price in any such transaction will be limited to the greater of (i) the cost of the property to the affiliate, including acquisition-related expenses, or (ii) the current appraised value of the property as determined by an independent expert) and our Code of Ethics and applicable laws and regulations. These requirements will also apply to transactions with Starwood Capital, any of our directors or any affiliates thereof. |
• | Other Affiliate Transactions. In connection with investments in which we participate alongside Other Starwood Accounts, we may from time to time share certain rights with such Other Starwood Accounts |
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relating to such investments for legal, tax, regulatory or other similar reasons, including, in certain instances, certain control-related rights with respect to jointly held investments. When making any decisions related to such investments, there may be conflicting interests. There can be no assurance that the return on our investment will be equivalent to or better than the returns obtained by Starwood Capital or its other affiliates. |
Further, conflicts could arise once we and Starwood Capital or its affiliates have made our respective investments. For example, if we enter into a joint venture with an Other Starwood Account, our interests and the interests of such Other Starwood Account may conflict, for example when one joint venture partner seeks to sell the property in the joint venture but the other joint venture partner does not. In such situations, the ability of the Advisor to recommend actions in our best interests might be impaired.
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NET ASSET VALUE CALCULATION AND VALUATION GUIDELINES
Following the end of each full calendar month, our NAV for each class of shares will be based on the net asset values of our investments (including real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities), the addition of any other assets (such as cash on hand) and the deduction of any liabilities, including the accrual of any performance participation payable to the Special Limited Partner, and will also include the deduction of any stockholder servicing fees specifically applicable to such class of shares, in all cases as described below.
General
Our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, has adopted valuation guidelines that contain a comprehensive set of methodologies to be used by the Advisor and our independent valuation advisor in connection with estimating the values of our assets and liabilities for purposes of our NAV calculation. These guidelines are designed to produce a fair and accurate estimate of the price that would be received for our investments in anarm’s-length transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller in possession of all material information about our investments. Our independent valuation advisor will review our valuation guidelines and methodologies related to investments in real property with the Advisor and our board of directors at least annually. From time to time, our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, may adopt changes to the valuation guidelines if it (1) determines that such changes are likely to result in a more accurate reflection of NAV or a more efficient or less costly procedure for the determination of NAV without having a material adverse effect on the accuracy of such determination or (2) otherwise reasonably believes a change is appropriate for the determination of NAV.
The calculation of our NAV is intended to be a calculation of the fair value of our assets less our outstanding liabilities as described below and will likely differ from the book value of our equity reflected in our financial statements. As a public company, we are required to issue financial statements based on historical cost in accordance with GAAP. To calculate our NAV for the purpose of establishing a purchase and repurchase price for our shares, we have adopted a model, as explained below, that adjusts the value of our assets and liabilities from historical cost to fair value generally in accordance with the GAAP principles set forth in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. The fair value calculations of our real estate properties will involve significant professional judgment in the application of both observable and unobservable attributes, the calculated fair value of our assets may differ from their actual realizable value or future fair value. While we believe our NAV calculation methodologies are consistent with standard industry practices, there is no rule or regulation that requires we calculate NAV in a certain way. As a result, other public REITs may use different methodologies or assumptions to determine NAV. In addition, NAV is not a measure used under GAAP and the valuations of and certain adjustments made to our assets and liabilities used in the determination of NAV will differ from GAAP. You should not consider NAV to be equivalent to stockholders’ equity or any other GAAP measure.
Our Independent Valuation Advisor
With the approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, we have engaged Altus Group U.S. Inc., to serve as our independent valuation advisor. At the end of each calendar quarter, our independent valuation advisor will prepare appraisals for each of our properties other than those for which we obtained third-party appraisals during such quarter, or approximately three-quarters of our real estate portfolio, and review annual third-party appraisals, prepared by another third-party appraisal firm, of our properties. The independent valuation advisor also will prepare quarterly valuations of our real estate-related debt. The independent valuation advisor will also review and confirm the reasonableness of the valuations prepared by the Advisor for each month that is not a quarter-end. When identified by the Advisor, individual property appraisals will be updated for events that materially impact our gross asset value; however, there may be a lag in time between the occurrence of such event(s) and the determination of the impact on our gross asset value. The Advisor, with the approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, may
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engage additional independent valuation advisors in the future as our portfolio grows. While our independent valuation advisor performs an important role with respect to our property valuations, our independent valuation advisor is not responsible for, and does not calculate, our NAV. The Advisor is ultimately responsible for the determination of our NAV.
Our independent valuation advisor may be replaced at any time, in accordance with agreed-upon notice requirements, by a majority vote of our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. We will promptly disclose any changes to the identity or role of the independent valuation advisor in reports we publicly file with the SEC.
Our independent valuation advisor will discharge its responsibilities in accordance with our valuation guidelines. Our board of directors will not be involved in the monthly valuation of our assets and liabilities, but will periodically receive and review such information about the valuation of our assets and liabilities as it deems necessary to exercise its oversight responsibility. Our NAV per share for each class of shares will be calculated by our fund administrator, The Bank of New York Mellon, and such calculation will be reviewed and confirmed by the Advisor.
We have agreed to pay fees to our independent valuation advisor upon its delivery to us of its reports on a quarterly basis. We have also agreed to indemnify our independent valuation advisor against certain liabilities arising out of this engagement. The compensation we pay to our independent valuation advisor is not based on the estimated values of our properties.
Our independent valuation advisor and certain of the independent third-party appraisers have provided, and are expected to continue to provide, real estate appraisal, appraisal management and real estate valuation advisory services to Starwood Capital and its affiliates and have received, and are expected to continue to receive, fees in connection with such services. Our independent valuation advisor and certain of the independent third-party appraisers and their respective affiliates may from time to time in the future perform other commercial real estate and financial advisory services for Starwood Capital and its affiliates, or in transactions related to the properties that are the subjects of the valuations being performed for us, or otherwise, so long as such other services do not adversely affect the independence of the independent valuation advisor or the applicable appraiser as certified in the applicable appraisal report.
Valuation of Investments
Consolidated Properties
For the purposes of calculating our monthly NAV, our properties initially will be valued at cost, which we expect to represent fair value at that time. We expect to receive an appraisal performed by a third party on each property prior to or upon acquisition.
Each property will then be valued by an independent third-party appraisal firm no less than annually. Properties purchased as a portfolio may be valued as a single asset. Each third-party appraisal is performed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and reviewed by the independent valuation advisor for reasonableness. Upon conclusion of the appraisal, the independent third-party appraisal firm prepares a written report with an estimated market value of the property. Each appraisal must be reviewed, approved and signed by an individual with the professional designation of MAI (a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute). We believe our policy of obtaining annual appraisals by independent third parties as well as having our independent valuation advisor preparing updated appraisals at the end of each calendar quarter for approximately three-quarters of our real estate portfolio will meaningfully enhance the accuracy of our NAV calculation. Any appraisal provided by an independent third-party appraisal firm will be performed in accordance with our valuation guidelines and will not be considered in the Advisor’s valuation of the applicable property until our independent valuation advisor has confirmed the reasonableness of such appraisal.
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The Advisor will update the valuations of our properties for each month in which we do not receive an appraisal report from a third-party appraiser or our independent valuation advisor. Such valuations will be based on the then most recent appraisals provided by either our independent valuation advisor or a third-party appraisal firm, current market data and other relevant information, with review and confirmation of reasonableness provided by our independent valuation advisor. These updates to valuations may be different than the values provided in the most recent appraisal performed by a third-party appraiser or our independent valuation advisor. Although monthly reviews of each of our real property valuations will be performed by our independent valuation advisor, such reviews are based on asset and portfolio level information provided by the Advisor, including historical operating revenues and expenses of the properties, lease agreements on the properties, revenues and expenses of the properties, information regarding recent or planned capital expenditures and any other information relevant to valuing the real estate property, which information will not be independently verified by our independent valuation advisor.
The Advisor will monitor our properties for events that the Advisor believes may be expected to have a material impact on the most recent estimated values of such property, and will notify our independent valuation advisor of such events. If, in the opinion of the Advisor, an event becomes known to the Advisor (including through communication with the independent valuation advisor) that is likely to have any material impact on previously provided estimated values of the affected properties, the Advisor will adjust the valuation of such properties, subject to the review and confirmation of reasonableness of the valuation by the independent valuation advisor. The Advisor’s valuation of certain investment-level liabilities, including any third-party incentive fee payments or deal terms and structure will not be reviewed by the independent valuation advisor or appraised. Bank of New York Mellon will then incorporate such adjusted valuations into our NAV, which will then be reviewed and confirmed by the Advisor.
For example, a valuation adjustment may be appropriate to reflect the occurrence of an unexpected property-specific event such as a termination or renewal of a material lease, a material change in vacancies or an unanticipated structural or environmental event at a property that may cause the value of a wholly-owned property to change materially. Valuation adjustments may also be appropriate to reflect the occurrence of broader market-driven events identified by the Advisor or our independent valuation advisor which may impact more than a specific property, such as a significant capital market event. Any such adjustments will be estimates of the market impact of specific events as they occur, based on assumptions and judgments that may or may not prove to be correct, and may also be based on the limited information readily available at that time. If deemed appropriate by the Advisor or our independent valuation advisor, any necessary adjustment will be determined as soon as practicable. Updated appraisals received during the year may also trigger an adjustment in the value of a property.
In general, we expect that any adjustments to appraised values will be calculated promptly after a determination that a material change has occurred and the financial effects of such change are quantifiable by the Advisor. However, rapidly changing market conditions or material events may not be immediately reflected in our monthly NAV. The resulting potential disparity in our NAV may be detrimental to stockholders whose shares are repurchased or new purchasers of our common stock, depending on whether our published NAV per share for such class is overstated or understated.
Real estate appraisals will be reported on a free and clear basis (for example, without taking into consideration any mortgage on the property), irrespective of any property level financing that may be in place. We expect to use the discounted cash flow methodology (income approach) as the primary methodology to value properties, whereby a property’s value is calculated by discounting the estimated cash flows and the anticipated terminal value of the subject property by the assumed new buyer’s normalized weighted average cost of capital for the subject property. Consistent with industry practices, the income approach also incorporates subjective judgments regarding comparable rental and operating expense data, capitalization or discount rate, and projections of future rent and expenses based on appropriate evidence as well as the residual value of the asset as components in determining value. Other methodologies that may also be used to value properties include sales comparisons and
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replacement cost approaches. Under the sales comparison approach, the independent third-party appraiser develops an opinion of value by comparing the subject property to similar, recently sold properties in the surrounding or competing area. The replacement cost approach relies on the principle of substitution, which holds that when a property is replaceable in the market, its value tends to be set at the cost of acquiring an equally desirable substitute property, assuming that no costly delay is encountered in making the substitution. Because appraisals performed by third parties and any subsequent updates to the valuation of our properties made by the Advisor involve subjective judgments, the estimated fair value of our assets that will be included in our NAV may not reflect the liquidation value or net realizable value of our properties.
In conducting their investigations and analyses, our independent valuation advisor and other independent third-party appraisal firms will take into account customary and accepted financial and commercial procedures and considerations as they deem relevant, which may include, without limitation, the review of documents, materials and information relevant to valuing the property that are provided by us, such as (i) historical operating revenues and expenses of the property; (ii) lease agreements on the property; (iii) the revenues and expenses of the property; (iv) information regarding recent or planned capital expenditures; and (v) any other information relevant to valuing the real estate property. Although our independent valuation advisor may review information supplied or otherwise made available by the Advisor for reasonableness, it will assume and rely upon the accuracy and completeness of all such information and of all information supplied or otherwise made available to it by any other party and will not undertake any duty or responsibility to verify independently any of such information. The independent valuation advisor will not make or obtain an independent valuation or appraisal of any of our other assets or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than our real properties, real estate-related debt investments and property level debt. With respect to operating or financial forecasts and other information and data to be provided to or otherwise to be reviewed by or discussed with our independent valuation advisor, our independent valuation advisor will assume that such forecasts and other information and data were reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of the Advisor, and will rely upon the Advisor to advise our independent valuation advisor promptly if any information previously provided becomes inaccurate or was required to be updated during the period of review.
In performing their analyses, the Advisor, our independent valuation advisor and other independent third-party appraisal firms will make numerous other assumptions with respect to industry performance, general business, economic and regulatory conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond their control and our control, as well as certain factual matters. For example, our independent valuation advisor and other independent third-party appraisal firms will assume that we have clear and marketable title to each real estate property valued, that no title defects exist unless specifically informed to the contrary, that improvements were made in accordance with law, that no hazardous materials are present or were present previously, that no deed restrictions exist, and that no changes to zoning ordinances or regulations governing use, density or shape are pending or being considered. Furthermore, our independent valuation advisor’s review and conclusions will necessarily be based upon market, economic, financial and other circumstances and conditions existing prior to the valuation, and any material change in such circumstances and conditions may affect our independent valuation advisor’s review and conclusions. Our independent valuation advisor’s review reports may contain other assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth in the respective reports that qualify the conclusions set forth therein. As such, the carrying values of our real properties may not reflect the price at which the properties could be sold in the market, and the difference between carrying values and the ultimate sales prices could be material. In addition, accurate valuations are more difficult to obtain in times of low transaction volume because there are fewer market transactions that can be considered in the context of the appraisal.
Pursuant to our valuation services agreement with our independent valuation advisor, each individual appraisal report for our assets will be addressed solely to us to assist the Advisor in calculating our NAV. The appraisal reports relating to our properties will not be addressed to the public and may not be relied upon by any other person to establish an estimated value of our common stock and will not constitute a recommendation to any person to purchase or sell any shares of our common stock. In preparing appraisal reports, independent third-party appraisal firms and our independent valuation advisor will not, and will not be requested to, solicit third-
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party indications of interest for our common stock or any of our properties in connection with possible purchases thereof or the acquisition of all or any part of us.
Unconsolidated Properties Held Through Joint Ventures
Unconsolidated properties held through joint ventures generally will be valued in a manner that is consistent with the guidelines described above for consolidated properties. Once the value of a property held by the joint venture is determined in a manner consistent with the guidelines described above for consolidated properties and we determine the fair value of any other assets and liabilities of the joint venture, the value of our interest in the joint venture would then be determined by the Advisor using a hypothetical liquidation calculation to value our interest in the joint venture, which would be a percentage of the joint venture’s NAV. Unconsolidated properties held in a joint venture that acquires multiple properties over time may be valued as a single investment.
Valuation of Real Estate-Related Debt and Real Estate-Related Securities
Our independent valuation advisor will prepare quarterly valuations of our real estate-related debt. Outside of this quarterly process, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities will be valued by the Advisor based on market quotations or at fair value determined in accordance with GAAP. The independent valuation advisor will also provide via a negative assurance letter a confirmation as to the reasonableness of the valuations of our real estate-related debt prepared by the Advisor for each month where our independent valuation advisor does not prepare a valuation. Market quotations may be obtained from third-party pricing service providers or broker-dealers. When reliable market quotations for such assets are available from multiple sources, the Advisor will use commercially reasonable efforts to use two or more quotations and will value such assets based on the average of the quotations obtained. GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or be paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Pursuant to the valuation guidelines adopted by our board of directors, if market quotations are not readily available (or are otherwise not reliable for a particular investment), the fair value will be determined in good faith by the Advisor. Due to the inherent uncertainty of these estimates, estimates of fair value may differ from the values that would have been used had a ready market for these investments existed and the differences could be material. Market quotes are considered not readily available in circumstances where there is an absence of current or reliable market-based data (e.g., trade information, bid/ask information, or broker-dealer quotations). Our board of directors has delegated to the Advisor the responsibility for monitoring significant events that may materially affect the values of our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities and for determining whether the value of the applicable investments should bere-evaluated in light of such significant events. The valuation of our real estate-related securities prepared by the Advisor will not be reviewed by our independent valuation advisor or appraised.
Liabilities
We will include the fair value of our liabilities as part of our NAV calculation. We expect that these liabilities will include the fees payable to the Advisor and the Dealer Manager, any accrued performance participation payable to the Special Limited Partner, accounts payable, accrued operating expenses, property-level mortgages, any portfolio-level credit facilities and other liabilities. All liabilities will be valued using widely accepted methodologies specific to each type of liability. Liabilities related to stockholder servicing fees will be allocable to a specific class of shares and will only be included in the NAV calculation for that class. Our debt will typically be valued at fair value in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of calculating our NAV, neither (1) organization and offering expenses paid by the Advisor through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the date on which we broke escrow in this offering, nor (2) operating expenses paid by the Advisor, incurred by us during the period July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018, will be recognized as expenses or as a component of equity and reflected in our NAV until we reimburse the Advisor for these costs.
The Advisor’s valuation of each investment’s liabilities, including any third-party incentive fee payments or deal terms and structure will not be reviewed by the independent valuation advisor or appraised.
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NAV and NAV Per Share Calculation
We are offering to the public four classes of shares of our common stock: Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. Our NAV will be calculated for each of these classes by our fund administrator. Our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors, may replace our fund administrator with another party, including the Advisor, if it is deemed appropriate to do so. The Advisor is responsible for reviewing and confirming our NAV, and overseeing the process around the calculation of our NAV, in each case, as performed by our fund administrator.
Each class will have an undivided interest in our assets and liabilities, other than class-specific stockholder servicing fees. In accordance with the valuation guidelines, our fund administrator calculates our NAV per share for each class as of the last calendar day of each month, using a process that reflects several components (each as described above), including the estimated fair value of (1) each of our properties based in part upon individual appraisal reports provided periodically by third-party independent valuation firms and our independent valuation advisor with monthly valuations prepared by the Advisor for months that are not aquarter-end, (2) our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities for which third-party market quotes are available, (3) our other real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities, if any, and (4) our other assets and liabilities. Because stockholder servicing fees allocable to a specific class of shares will only be included in the NAV calculation for that class, the NAV per share for our share classes may differ.
At the conclusion of the escrow period, NAV for each class of shares was equal to the net proceeds received by us from purchases of shares during the escrow period in each respective class, less our liabilities. Thereafter, at the end of each month, before taking into consideration repurchases or class-specific expense accruals for that month, any change in our aggregate NAV (whether an increase or decrease) is allocated among each class of shares based on each class’s relative percentage of the previous aggregate NAV plus issuances of shares that were effective on the first calendar day of such month. The NAV calculation is available generally within 15 calendar days after the end of the applicable month. Changes in our monthly NAV includes, without limitation, accruals of our net portfolio income, interest expense, the management fee, any accrued performance participation payable to the Special Limited Partner, distributions, unrealized/realized gains and losses on assets, any applicable organization and offering costs and any expense reimbursements. Changes in our monthly NAV also includes material,non-recurring events, such as capital expenditures and material property acquisitions and dispositions occurring during the month. On an ongoing basis, the Advisor will adjust the accruals to reflect actual operating results and the outstanding receivable, payable and other account balances resulting from the accumulation of monthly accruals for which financial information is available.
The Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf (other than upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees) through December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the conclusion of the escrow period. The Advisor has also agreed to advance all of our operating expenses incurred from July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018. We will reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses ratably over the 60 months following December 21, 2019, the first anniversary of the conclusion of the escrow period. For purposes of calculating our NAV, neither (1) organization and offering expenses paid by the Advisor through December 21, 2019 nor (2) operating expenses paid by the Advisor, incurred by us during the period July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2018, will be recognized as expenses or as a component of equity and reflected in our NAV until we reimburse the Advisor for these costs.
Following the aggregation of the net asset values of our investments, the addition of any other assets (such as cash on hand) and the deduction of any other liabilities, our fund administrator incorporates any class-specific adjustments to our NAV, including additional issuances and repurchases of our common stock and accruals of class-specific stockholder servicing fees. For each applicable class of shares, the stockholder servicing fee is calculated as a percentage of the aggregate NAV for such class of shares. The declaration of distributions will reduce the NAV for each class of our common stock in an amount equal to the accrual of our liability to pay any such distribution to our stockholders of record of each class. NAV per share for each class is calculated by
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dividing such class’s NAV at the end of each month by the number of shares outstanding for that class at the end of such month. Restricted shares of our Class I common stock that remain unvested at the end of the month will be excluded from the NAV per share calculation.
The combination of the Class T NAV, Class S NAV, Class D NAV and Class I NAV equals the aggregate net asset value of our assets, which will consist almost entirely of the value of our interest in the Operating Partnership, less our liabilities, including liabilities related to class-specific stockholder servicing fees. The value of our interest in the Operating Partnership is equal to the excess of the aggregate NAV of the Operating Partnership over the portion thereof that would be distributed to any limited partners other than us if the Operating Partnership were liquidated. The aggregate NAV of the Operating Partnership is the excess of the value of the Operating Partnership’s assets (including the fair value of its properties, real estate-related debt, real estate-related securities, cash and other investments) over its liabilities (including the fair value of its debt, any declared and accrued unpaid distributions, any accrued performance participation payable to the Special Limited Partner and the expenses attributable to its operations). The Advisor calculates the fair value of the assets and liabilities of the Operating Partnership as directed by our valuation guidelines based upon values received from various sources, as described in more detail above.
Relationship between NAV and Our Transaction Price
Generally, our transaction price will equal our prior month’s NAV. The transaction price will be the price at which we repurchase shares and the price, together with applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, at which we offer shares. Although the transaction price will generally be based on our prior month’s NAV per share, such prior month’s NAV may be significantly different from the current NAV per share of the applicable class of stock as of the date on which your purchase or repurchase occurs.
In addition, we may offer shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share (including by updating a previously disclosed offering price) or suspend our offering or our share repurchase plan in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. In cases where our transaction price is not based on the prior month’s NAV per share, the offering price and repurchase price will not equal our NAV per share as of any time.
Limits on the Calculation of Our NAV Per Share
The overarching principle of our valuation guidelines is to produce reasonable estimated values for each of our investments (and other assets and liabilities), or the price that would be received for that investment in orderly transactions between market participants. However, the majority of our assets will consist of real estate properties and, as with any real estate valuation protocol and as described above, the valuation of our properties (and other assets and liabilities) is based on a number of judgments, assumptions and opinions about future events that may or may not prove to be correct. The use of different judgments, assumptions or opinions would likely result in a different estimate of the value of our real estate properties (and other assets and liabilities). Any resulting potential disparity in our NAV per share may be in favor of stockholders whose shares are repurchased, existing stockholders or new purchasers of our common stock, as the case may be, depending on the circumstances at the time (for cases in which our transaction price is based on NAV). See “Risk Factors—Valuations and appraisals of our properties real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities are estimates of fair value and may not necessarily correspond to realizable value,” “—Our NAV per share amounts may change materially if the appraised values of our properties materially change from prior appraisals or the actual operating results for a particular month differ from what we originally budgeted for that month” and “—It may be difficult to reflect, fully and accurately, material events that may impact our monthly NAV.”
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Additionally, while the methodologies contained in our valuation guidelines are designed to operate reliably within a wide variety of circumstances, it is possible that in certain unanticipated situations or after the occurrence of certain extraordinary events (such as a significant disruption in relevant markets, a terrorist attack or an act of nature), our ability to calculate NAV may be impaired or delayed, including, without limitation, circumstances where there is a delay in accessing or receiving information from vendors or other reporting agents upon which we may rely upon in determining the monthly value of our NAV. In these circumstances, a more accurate valuation of our NAV could be obtained by using different assumptions or methodologies. Accordingly, in special situations when, in the Advisor’s reasonable judgment, the administration of the valuation guidelines would result in a valuation that does not represent a fair and accurate estimate of the value of our investment, alternative methodologies may be applied, provided that the Advisor must notify our board of directors at the next scheduled board meeting of any alternative methodologies utilized and their impact on the overall valuation of our investment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our board of directors may suspend the offering or our share repurchase plan if it determines that the calculation of NAV is materially incorrect or unreliable or there is a condition that restricts the valuation of a material portion of our assets.
We include no discounts to our NAV for the illiquid nature of our shares, including the limitations on your ability to sell shares under our share repurchase plan and our ability to suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan at any time. Our NAV generally does not consider exit costs (e.g., selling costs and commissions and debt prepayment penalties related to the sale of a property) that would likely be incurred if our assets and liabilities were liquidated or sold. While we may use market pricing concepts to value individual components of our NAV, our per share NAV is not derived from the market pricing information ofopen-end real estate funds listed on stock exchanges.
Our NAV per share does not represent the amount of our assets less our liabilities in accordance with GAAP. We do not represent, warrant or guarantee that:
• | a stockholder would be able to realize the NAV per share for the class of shares a stockholder owns if the stockholder attempts to sell its shares; |
• | a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to the NAV per share for the class of shares it owns upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of our company; |
• | shares of our common stock would trade at their NAV per share on a national securities exchange; |
• | a third party would offer the NAV per share for each class of shares in anarm’s-length transaction to purchase all or substantially all of our shares; or |
• | the NAV per share would equate to a market price of an open-ended real estate fund. |
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The information presented in this section presents the historical experience of real estate investment programs sponsored by Starwood Capital and its affiliates (excluding separately managed accounts,co-investment entities, and other vehicles for which Starwood Capital does not have investment acquisition discretion, unless otherwise noted) that were in their investment or operational phases during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018. Our structure and investment strategy are generally different from these prior programs and our performance will depend on factors that may not be applicable to or affect the performance of these other programs. Further, all but one of the prior programs discussed in this section were conducted through privately-held entities that were not subject to all of the laws and regulations that will apply to us as a publicly offered REIT. Investors should not assume that they will experience returns, if any, that are comparable to those experienced by investors in the prior programs. The Prior Performance Tables included in this prospectus, beginning on pageA-1, include further information regarding certain prior programs. References in this section to Starwood Capital include its affiliates.
Capital Raising
Starwood Capital operates investment programs that invest primarily in real property and programs that invest primarily in real estate-related debt. During theten-year period ended December 31, 2018, Starwood Capital sponsored 14 real estate programs that were in their investment or operational phases, consisting of (1) 11 private programs that, depending on the program, invest primarily in a mix of real property assets and real estate-related debt, (2) Starwood Property Trust, a NYSE-listed REIT, (3) Starwood Waypoint Homes (f/k/a Colony Starwood Homes), a NYSE-listed REIT focused on single-family homes, following itsspin-off from Starwood Property Trust in 2014; and (4) Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited, a London Stock Exchange-listed company. We refer to these 14 real estate programs as “the prior programs.” In the aggregate, during this period Starwood Capital raised nearly $25 billion from approximately 1,330 investors from its 11 private prior programs. Additionally, during this period Starwood Property Trust and Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited raised more than $6.1 billion and £0.4 billion from investors, respectively. During this period, Starwood Waypoint Homes did not raise any capital from investors while Starwood Capital had investment acquisition discretion in connection with the fund (which was from January 2014 to January 2016).
Excluded from the prior programs are the following programs with which Starwood Capital or certain of its personnel were affiliated during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018: (1) TriPoint Group, Inc., a company engaged in the design, construction and sale of single-family homes; and (2) separately managed accounts,co-investment entities and other vehicles for which Starwood Capital does not have investment acquisition discretion, unless otherwise noted.
Please see “Appendix A: Prior Performance Tables—Table I” for more detailed information about fund raising for certain prior programs during the three year period ended December 31, 2018.
Investments
During theten-year period ended December 31, 2018, the prior programs and their relatedco-investment entities as well as separately managed accounts and other vehicles made investments in approximately 18,410 real estate properties (inclusive of 12,661 single-family homes)
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with an aggregate equity investment amount of approximately $21 billion. The table below provides details about the location and aggregate equity investment in these properties.
Property Investments ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Public Programs | Private Programs | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Number | Cost | Number | Cost | Number | Cost | ||||||||||||||||||
United States(1) | 12,813 | $ | 766 | 4,560 | $ | 14,851 | 17,373 | $ | 15,617 | |||||||||||||||
Europe | 13 | 101 | 977 | 4,497 | 990 | 4,598 | ||||||||||||||||||
Asia Pacific | 18 | 130 | 18 | 130 | ||||||||||||||||||||
North America, outside US | 7 | 506 | 7 | 506 | ||||||||||||||||||||
South America | 22 | 296 | 22 | 296 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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12,826 | $ | 867 | 5,584 | $ | 20,280 | 18,410 | $ | 21,147 | ||||||||||||||||
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(1) | The number of property investments completed by Public Programs includes 8,283 properties acquired by Starwood Waypoint Homes from January 31, 2014 through January 5, 2016, for which no equity capital was raised to acquire such properties. |
The following table gives a breakdown of the aggregate investments in real property (based on equity amount of investments) made by the prior programs and their relatedco-investment entities, categorized by property type, during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018.
Type of Property | Public Programs(*) | Private Programs(**) | Total | |||||||||
Office | 32 | % | 17 | % | 18 | % | ||||||
Leisure and Hospitality | 0 | % | 33 | % | 31 | % | ||||||
Retail | 16 | % | 12 | % | 12 | % | ||||||
Residential | 18 | % | 8 | % | 9 | % | ||||||
Multifamily & Condominiums | 30 | % | 26 | % | 26 | % | ||||||
Mixed Use | 1 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||
Industrial | 3 | % | 3 | % | 3 | % | ||||||
Other | 0 | % | 1 | % | 1 | % | ||||||
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TOTAL | 100 | % | 100 | % | 100 | % | ||||||
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(*) | None of the properties were development properties requiring construction. |
(**) | Approximately 5% of properties were development properties requiring construction. |
Investment Objectives
We consider a program to have investment objectives similar to ours if the program seeks steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate, real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities. We do not consider any of the prior programs to have investment objectives similar to ours, except for Starwood Property Trust. Approximately 20% of the aggregate funds raised from investors by all of the prior programs were invested in programs with investment objectives similar to ours.
The aggregate cost of the underlying properties of the prior programs with similar investment objectives to our real estate portfolio is approximately 4% of the total aggregate cost incurred by all of the prior programs during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018.
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Sales and Dispositions
The prior private programs and their relatedco-investment entities as well as separately managed accounts and other vehicles disposed of approximately 3,463 properties during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018. The aggregate net sales proceeds of such properties (net of leverage) was approximately $18.7 billion and the aggregate original equity cost was approximately $12.7 billion.
During the period January 31, 2014 through January 5, 2016, Starwood Waypoint Homes disposed of approximately 1,073 properties. The aggregate net sales proceeds of such properties (inclusive of corporate level debt) was approximately $252.3 million and the aggregate original gross cost (inclusive of corporate level debt) was $249.3 million.
During theten-year period ended December 31, 2018, approximately 124 investments in real estate properties were disposed of by prior programs with similar investment objectives to our real estate portfolio excluding thespin-off of Starwood Waypoint Homes from Starwood Property Trust. The aggregate net sales proceeds of such properties (inclusive of corporate level debt) was approximately $305.5 million and the aggregate original gross cost (inclusive of corporate level debt) was approximately $226.2 million.
Please see “Appendix A: Prior Performance Tables—Table III” for information about the operating results of certain prior programs, the offerings of which are open-ended or closed in the five-year period ended December 31, 2018.
Prior Programs Summary
Starwood Capital has sponsored 14 programs that were in their investment or operation phases during theten-year period ended December 31, 2018 (in addition to separately managed accounts,co-investment entities and other vehicles for which Starwood Capital does not have investment acquisition discretion, and taking into account any related parallel funds and alternative investment vehicles). As described in greater detail below, the prior programs primarily invested in a range of real properties and real estate-related debt and other securities based on Starwood Capital’s analysis and assessment of favorable market opportunities. As noted above under “—Investment Objectives,” (i) Starwood Property Trust has investment objectives similar to our real estate portfolio with respect to its real estate equity portfolio, (ii) Starwood Property Trust has investment objectives similar to our real estate-related securities portfolio with respect to its real estate-related securities portfolio and (iii) SOF VII and Hotel I (as described below) had investment objectives similar to our real estate-related securities portfolio with respect to their real estate-related securities portfolios. Other than the foregoing, the prior programs do not have investment objectives similar to ours.
The 14 prior programs (inclusive of feeder funds and parallel funds) are as follows:
• | Starwood Opportunity Fund IV (“SOF IV”) had its final closing in February 1997, with total commitments of approximately $830 million. SOF IV pursued an investment strategy focused on office properties, mixed-used complexes, residential land development, and retail- and leisure-related development. |
• | Starwood Opportunity Fund V(“SOF V”) had its final closing in April 1999, with total commitments of approximately $516 million. SOF V’s strategy emphasized investments in residential and retail assets, including the construction or redevelopment of condominium projects in major cities. |
• | Starwood Global Opportunity Fund VI(“SOF VI”) had its final closing in February 2002, with total commitments of $567 million. SOF VI pursued opportunities in country-specific and property-specific investments. |
• | Starwood Capital Hospitality Fund I(“Hotel I”) had its final closing in November 2005, with total commitments of $900 million. Hotel I pursued opportunities with SOF VII (described below) in hotel and hotel-related investments. |
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• | Starwood Opportunity Fund VII(“SOF VII”) had its final closing in December 2005, with total commitments of $1.475 billion. SOF VII pursued opportunities with Hotel I in hotel and hotel-related investments. In addition, SOF VII pursued investments in residential land, office buildings and senior housing opportunities. |
• | Starwood Debt Fund II (“Debt Fund II”) had its final closing in January 2009, with total commitments of $338 million. Debt Fund II pursued opportunities with SOF VIII and Hotel II (each described below) focused on first mortgages, junior notes, CMBS, corporate bonds and mezzanine debt. |
• | Starwood Property Trust is a NYSE-listed REIT that launched in August 2009 with an initial market capitalization of $950 million. Starwood Property Trust pursues an investment strategy focused on origination, acquiring, financing and managing commercial mortgage loans and other commercial real estate debt investments. Since inception, Starwood Property Trust has deployed total capital of approximately $51 billion. |
• | Starwood Waypoint Homesis a NYSE-listed REIT that wasspun-off by Starwood Property Trust in January 2014 with initial net assets of $1.1 billion. Starwood Waypoint Homes was externally managed by Starwood Capital from the date of thespin-off through January 2016, at which time the company became self-managed. Prior to the internalization, Starwood Waypoint Homes pursued an investment strategy focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing and managing single-family residential assets andnon-performing loans backed by residential assets in select markets throughout the United States. Subsequent to thespin-off and through January 2016, Starwood Waypoint Homes deployed total capital of approximately $2.2 billion. |
• | Starwood Capital Hospitality Fund II(“Hotel II”) had its final closing in March 2010, with total commitments of $966 million. Hotel II pursued opportunities with SOF VIII and Debt II in hotel and hotel-related transactions. Hotel II focused on investing in budget hotels, luxury hotels, portfolios of hotels and hotel platforms by investing in distressed hospitality debt, distressed assets and portfolios of assets. |
• | Starwood Opportunity Fund VIII(“SOF VIII”) had its final closing in March 2010, with total commitments of $1.83 billion. SOF VIII focused on opportunistic investing in global distressed real estate and targeted loans and real estate owned that was being sold by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and other distressed institutions, performing debt and“loan-to-own” opportunities, U.S. residential land, property in emerging economies with attractive fundamentals and mispriced corporate and global real estate. In addition, SOF VIII pursued opportunities with Hotel II in hotel and hotel-related transactions and opportunities in debt investments with Debt Fund II and Starwood Property Trust. |
• | Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited (“SEREF”) is a London Stock Exchange listed company that launched in November 2012 with an initial market capitalization of £224 million. SEREF pursues an investment strategy focused on origination and acquisition of real estate debt investments in the form of performing loans in the United Kingdom and the wider European Union. Since inception, SEREF had made £1.0 billion of loan commitments to borrowers as of December 31, 2018. |
• | Starwood Distressed Opportunity Fund IX(“SOF IX”) had its final closing in April 2013, with total commitments of $4.2 billion. SOF IX pursued an investment strategy with a focus on distressed debt purchases from money center banks, regional banks, the FDIC and other distressed sellers, as well asvalue-add and income assets, corporate opportunities and land development. |
• | Starwood Global Opportunity Fund X(“SOF X”) had its final closing in March 2015 with total commitments of $5.6 billion. SOF X focused on acquiring real estate at discounts to replacement cost and on other underperforming assets in selectsub-markets. |
• | Starwood Opportunity Fund XI (“SOF XI”) had its final closing in February 2018 with total commitments of $7.6 billion. SOF XI is focused on acquiring real estate at discounts to replacement cost and on other underperforming assets in selectsub-markets. |
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Material Adverse Developments on Prior Programs
Starwood Capital has invested in real estate over the past 27 years through various economic cycles, including the global financial crisis. Adverse business developments in prior programs described above were generally the result of broader economic distress (e.g., the global financial crisis, periods of increased volatility) or other factors that are immaterial to investors in this offering (e.g.,ground-up construction, distress in international markets where we are not expected to invest). Specific instances of such temporary adverse developments are discussed below.
During the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, the U.S. and international markets experienced high volatility, significant declines in real estate values, severe disruptions in the credit and capital markets and deteriorated property operating fundamentals. As a result, valuations of Starwood Capital’s real estate programs and real estate-related debt programs during this period were reduced. While such real estate programs were formed primarily to make opportunistic real estate investments, and have different investment objectives than ours, virtually the entire real estate industry globally, including such programs, suffered during the financial crisis. During this period, three of the prior programs sponsored by Starwood Capital, in particular, realized losses on certain investments, had tenants file for protection from creditors under the bankruptcy code, tenants vacate facilities prior to or at the end of, or cease operations during, a lease term, and litigation with tenants involving lease defaults and sales of properties. These developments caused a reduction in cash flow and an increase in administrative expenses during certain periods.
Upon written request, you may obtain, without charge, a copy of the most recent Form10-K annual report filed with the SEC by Starwood Property Trust. We will provide exhibits to each such Form10-K upon payment of a reasonable fee for copying and mailing expenses. These reports and exhibits, as well as other reports required to be filed with the SEC, are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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STOCK OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth, as of March 28, 2019, information regarding the number and percentage of shares owned by each director, our chief executive officer, each executive officer, all directors and executive officers as a group, and any person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of outstanding shares of our common stock. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes securities that a person has the right to acquire within 60 days. The address for each of the persons named below is in care of our principal executive offices at 1601 Washington Avenue, Suite 800, Miami Beach, Florida 33139.
Name of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned(1) | Percent of All Shares | ||||||
Directors and Executive Officers | ||||||||
Barry S. Sternlicht(2) | 251,045 | 2 | % | |||||
John P. McCarthy, Jr. | 15,063 | * | ||||||
Christopher D. Graham | — | — | ||||||
Chris Lowthert | — | — | ||||||
Matthew S. Guttin | — | — | ||||||
Robert Geimer | — | — | ||||||
Sean Harris | — | — | ||||||
Mark Deason | — | — | ||||||
Richard D. Bronson(3) | 1,157 | * | ||||||
David B. Henry(3) | 1,020 | * | ||||||
Robin Josephs(3) | 1,157 | * | ||||||
Dale Anne Reiss(3) | 1,335 | * | ||||||
James E. Walker(3) | 1,157 | * | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
All directors and executive officers as a group | 271,934 | 2 | % | |||||
|
|
|
|
* | Represents less than 1%. |
(1) | All shares listed in the table above are Class I shares. |
(2) | As of March 28, 2019, Starwood Real Estate Income Holdings, L.P. owned 251,045 Class I shares, which are deemed to be beneficially owned by Mr. Sternlicht. |
(3) | Each of our independent directors received a grant of restricted Class I shares, as part of their annual compensation, on April 3, 2018, which will vest on April 3, 2019, and a grant of restricted Class I shares on May 4, 2018, which will vest on May 4, 2019. |
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We were formed under the laws of the State of Maryland. The rights of our stockholders are governed by Maryland law as well as our charter and bylaws. The following summary of the terms of our stock is a summary of all material provisions concerning our stock and you should refer to the MGCL and our charter and bylaws for a full description. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information contained in our charter and bylaws. Copies of our charter and bylaws are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You can obtain copies of our charter and bylaws and every other exhibit to our registration statement. See the “Where You Can Find More Information” section below.
Under our charter, we have authority to issue a total of 1,100,000,000 shares of capital stock. Of the total shares of stock authorized, 1,000,000,000 shares are classified as common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share, 250,000,000 of which are classified as Class T shares, 250,000,000 of which are classified as Class S shares, 250,000,000 of which are classified as Class D shares and 250,000,000 of which are classified as Class I shares, and 100,000,000 shares are classified as preferred stock with a par value $0.01 per share. In addition, our board of directors may amend our charter from time to time, without stockholder approval, to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue.
Common Stock
Subject to the restrictions on ownership and transfer of stock set forth in our charter and except as may otherwise be specified in our charter, the holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters voted on by stockholders, including election of our directors. The holders of common stock vote together as a single class on all actions to be taken by the stockholders; provided, however, that with respect to (i) any amendment of the charter that would materially and adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of only a particular class of common stock, (ii) any matter submitted to stockholders that relates solely to a particular class of common stock or (iii) any matter submitted to stockholders in which the interests of a particular class of common stock differ from the interests of all other classes of common stock, only the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of such affected class of common stock, with no other class of common stock voting except such affected class of common stock voting as a separate class, is required. Our charter does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of our directors. Therefore, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect our entire board of directors. Subject to any preferential rights of any outstanding class or series of shares of stock and to the provisions in our charter regarding the restriction on ownership and transfer of stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to such distributions as may be authorized from time to time by our board of directors (or a committee of our board of directors) and declared by us out of legally available funds and, upon liquidation, are entitled to receive all assets available for distribution to our stockholders. Upon issuance for full payment in accordance with the terms of this offering, all shares of our common stock issued in the offering will be fully paid andnon-assessable. Holders of common stock will not have preemptive rights, which means that you will not have an automatic option to purchase any new shares of stock that we issue.
Our charter also contains a provision permitting our board of directors, without any action by our stockholders, to classify or reclassify any unissued common stock into one or more classes or series by setting or changing the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of repurchase of any new class or series of shares of stock.
We will generally not issue certificates for shares of our common stock. Shares of our common stock will be held in “uncertificated” form, which will eliminate the physical handling and safekeeping responsibilities inherent in owning transferable stock certificates and eliminate the need to return a duly executed stock certificate to effect a transfer. DST Systems, Inc. acts as our registrar and as the transfer agent for our shares. Transfers can be effected simply by mailing to our transfer agent a transfer and assignment form, which we will provide to you at no charge upon written request.
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Class T Shares
Each Class T share issued in the primary offering will be subject to an upfront selling commission of up to 3.0% and a dealer manager fee of 0.5% of the NAV per share of each Class T share sold in the offering on the date of the purchase; however, such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold. The Dealer Manager anticipates that all or a portion of the upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers.
We will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class T shares. For each Class T share, this stockholder servicing fee will consist of an advisor stockholder servicing fee and a dealer stockholder servicing fee. We expect that generally the advisor stockholder servicing fee will equal 0.65% per annum and the dealer stockholder servicing fee will equal 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV for each Class T share. However, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares. The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.
The upfront selling commission and dealer manager fee will not be payable in respect of any Class T shares sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, but such shares will be charged the stockholder servicing fee payable with respect to all our outstanding Class T shares.
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class T shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed 8.75% (or a lower limit as set forth in any applicable agreement between the Dealer Manager and a participating broker-dealer at the time such Class T shares were issued) of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class T shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such share. Although we cannot predict the length of time over which the stockholder servicing fee will be paid due to potential changes in the NAV of our shares, this fee would be paid with respect to a Class T share (in the case of a limit of 8.75% of gross proceeds) over approximately 6.5 years from the date of purchase, assuming payment of the full upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, opting out of the distribution reinvestment plan and a constant NAV of $20.00 per share. Under these assumptions, if a stockholder holds his or her shares for this time period, this fee with respect to a Class T share would total approximately $1.11.
Class S Shares
Each Class S share issued in the primary offering will be subject to an upfront selling commission of up to 3.5% of the NAV per share of each Class S share sold in the offering on the date of the purchase. The Dealer Manager anticipates that all or a portion of the upfront selling commissions will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers.
We will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares. The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a
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portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.
The upfront selling commission will not be payable in respect of any Class S shares sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, but such shares will be charged the stockholder servicing fee payable with respect to all our outstanding Class S shares.
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class S shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed 8.75% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such shares (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class S shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such share. Although we cannot predict the length of time over which the stockholder servicing fee will be paid due to potential changes in the NAV of our shares, this fee would be paid with respect to a Class S share over approximately 6.5 years from the date of purchase, assuming payment of the full upfront selling commissions, opting out of the distribution reinvestment plan and a constant NAV of $20.00 per share. Under these assumptions, if a stockholder holds his or her shares for this time period, this fee with respect to a Class S share would total approximately $1.11.
Class D Shares
No upfront selling commissions will be paid for sales of any Class D shares. We will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of all our outstanding Class D shares, including any Class D shares sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.
Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through certain registered investment advisers, (4) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (5) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus.
We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class D shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed 8.75% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such shares (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class D shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such share. Although we cannot predict the length of time over which the stockholder servicing fee will be paid due to potential changes in the NAV of our shares, this fee would be paid with respect to a Class D share over approximately 35 years from the date of purchase, assuming opting out of the distribution reinvestment plan and a constant NAV of $20.00 per share. Under these assumptions, if a stockholder holds his or her shares for this time period, this fee with respect to a Class D share would total approximately $1.75.
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Class I Shares
No upfront selling commissions or stockholder servicing fees will be paid for sales of any Class I shares.
Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers, (6) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Advisor, Starwood Capital or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our board of directors, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (7) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus.
Other Terms of Common Stock
If not already converted into Class I shares upon a determination that total upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed the applicable limit as described in the “—Class T Shares,” “—Class S Shares” and “—Class D Shares” sections above, each Class T share, Class S share and Class D share held in a stockholder’s account will automatically and without any action on the part of the holder thereof convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent NAV as such share on the earliest of (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, in each case in a transaction in which our stockholders receive cash or securities listed on a national securities exchange or (iii) the date following termination of the primary portion of the offering in which such Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares were sold on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with the offering, including upfront selling commissions, the stockholder servicing fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds of the primary portion of the offering. In addition, immediately before any liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each Class T share, Class S share and Class D share will automatically convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent NAV as such share.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, and to establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of repurchase of each class or series of preferred stock so issued. Because our board of directors has the power to establish the preferences and rights of each class or series of preferred stock, it may afford the holders of any series or class of preferred stock preferences, powers and rights senior to the rights of holders of common stock.
However, the voting rights per share of any series or class of preferred stock sold in a private offering may not exceed voting rights which bear the same relationship to the voting rights of a publicly held share as the consideration paid to us for each privately-held preferred share bears to the book value of each outstanding publicly held share. If we ever created and issued preferred stock with a distribution preference over common stock, payment of any distribution preferences of outstanding preferred stock would reduce the amount of funds available for the payment of distributions on the common stock. Further, holders of preferred stock are normally entitled to receive a liquidation preference in the event we liquidate, dissolve or wind up before any payment is made to the common stockholders, likely reducing the amount common stockholders would otherwise receive upon such an occurrence. In addition, under certain circumstances, the issuance of preferred stock may render more difficult or tend to discourage a merger, offer or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities, or the removal of incumbent management. Our board of directors has no present plans to issue any preferred stock, but may do so at any time in the future without stockholder approval.
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Meetings and Special Voting Requirements
An annual meeting of the stockholders will be held each year, upon reasonable notice to our stockholders, but no sooner than 30 days after delivery of our annual report to stockholders. Special meetings of stockholders may be called only upon the request of a majority of our directors, a majority of our independent directors or our chief executive officer, president or chairman of the board of directors and must be called by our secretary to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast at least 10% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at the meeting. Upon receipt of a written request stating the purpose of any such special meeting, our secretary shall provide a written notice to our stockholders within 10 days of receipt of such written request, stating the purpose of the meeting and setting a meeting date not less than 15 nor more than 60 days after the distribution of such notice. The presence either in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast at least 50% of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at the meeting on any matter will constitute a quorum. Generally, the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes cast is necessary to take stockholder action, except as described in the next paragraph and except that a majority of the votes represented in person or by proxy at a meeting at which a quorum is present is required to elect a director.
Under the MGCL and our charter, stockholders generally are entitled to vote at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present on (1) amendments to our charter, (2) our liquidation and dissolution, (3) a merger, consolidation, conversion, statutory share exchange or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, and (4) election or removal of our directors. Except with respect to the election of directors or as otherwise provided in our charter, the vote of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote is required to approve any such action, and no such action can be taken by our board of directors without such majority vote of our stockholders. In addition, although the NASAA REIT Guidelines indicate that stockholders are permitted to amend our charter or dissolve us without the necessity for concurrence by our board of directors, we are required to comply with the MGCL, which provides that any amendment to our charter or any dissolution of our company must first be declared advisable by our board of directors. Therefore, except with respect to the election or removal of our directors, prior to a stockholder vote, our board of directors must first adopt a resolution that the proposed action is advisable and directing the matter to be submitted to the stockholders. Accordingly, the only proposals to amend our charter or to dissolve our company that will be presented to our stockholders will be those that have been declared advisable by our board of directors. Stockholders are not entitled to exercise any of the rights of an objecting stockholder provided for in Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL unless our board of directors determines that such rights apply, with respect to all or any classes or series of stock, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of the determination in connection with which stockholders would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights. Stockholders have the power, without the concurrence of the directors, to remove a director from our board of directors with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
Stockholders are entitled to receive a copy of our stockholder list upon request. The list provided by us will include each stockholder’s name, address and telephone number and number of shares of stock owned by each stockholder and will be sent within 10 days of our receipt of the request. The stockholder list shall be maintained as part of our books and records and shall be available for inspection by any stockholder or the stockholder’s designated agent at our corporate offices upon the request of a stockholder. The stockholder list will be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. The copy of the stockholder list will be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in a readily readable type size (in no event smaller thanten-point type). A stockholder requesting a list will be required to pay reasonable costs of postage and duplication. The purposes for which a stockholder may request a copy of the stockholder list include, but are not limited to, matters relating to stockholders’ voting rights, the exercise of stockholder rights under federal proxy laws and any other proper purpose. If the Advisor or our board of directors neglects or refuses to exhibit, produce or mail a copy of our stockholder list as requested, the Advisor or our board of directors, as the case may be, shall be liable to any stockholder requesting our stockholder list for the costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by that stockholder for compelling the production of our stockholder list, and for actual damages
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suffered by any such stockholder by reason of such refusal or neglect. It shall be a defense that the actual purpose and reason for the requests for inspection or for a copy of our stockholder list is to secure such list or other information for the purpose of selling our stockholder list or copies thereof, or of using the same for a commercial purpose other than in the interest of the applicant as a stockholder relative to our affairs. We have the right to request that a requesting stockholder represent to us that the list will not be used to pursue commercial interests unrelated to such stockholder’s interest in us. The remedies provided by our charter to stockholders requesting copies of our stockholder list are in addition to, and shall not in any way limit, other remedies available to stockholders under federal law, or the laws of any state.
In addition to the foregoing, stockholders have rights under Rule14a-7 under the Exchange Act, which provides that, upon the request of a stockholder and the payment of the expenses of the distribution, we are required to distribute specific materials to stockholders in the context of the solicitation of proxies by a stockholder for voting on matters presented to stockholders or, at our option, provide requesting stockholders with a copy of the list of stockholders so that the requesting stockholder may make the distribution of such materials.
Furthermore, pursuant to our charter, any stockholder and any designated representative thereof shall be permitted access to our corporate records to which such stockholder is entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times, and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable charge. Under Maryland law, stockholders are entitled to inspect and copy only our bylaws, minutes of stockholder proceedings, annual statements of affairs, voting trust agreements and statements of stock and securities issued by us during the period specified by the requesting stockholder, which period may not be longer than 12 months prior to the date of the stockholder’s request. Because our stockholders are entitled to inspect only those corporate records that stockholders are entitled to inspect and copy under Maryland law, our stockholders will not be entitled to inspect and copy the minutes of the meetings of our board of directors, which are records that certain states other than Maryland allow corporate stockholders to inspect and copy. Requests to inspect or copy our corporate records must be made in writing to: Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., 1601 Washington Avenue, Suite 800, Miami Beach, FL 33139. It is the policy of our board of directors to comply with all proper requests for access to our corporate records in conformity with our charter and Maryland law.
Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer
Our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our stock that a person or group may own. No person or group may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly through application of constructive ownership rules, in excess of 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding common stock or 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding stock of all classes or series unless they receive an exemption (prospectively or retroactively) from our board of directors.
Subject to certain limitations, our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a person prospectively or retroactively from, or modify, these limits, subject to such terms, conditions, representations and undertakings as required by our charter or as our board of directors may determine. Our charter provides for, and our board of directors has granted, limited exemptions to certain persons who directly or indirectly own our stock, including directors, officers and stockholders controlled by them or trusts for the benefit of their families.
Our charter further prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our stock that would result in our being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code or otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT and any person from transferring shares of our stock if the transfer would result in our stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons. Any person who acquires or intends to acquire shares of our stock that may violate any of these restrictions, or who is the intended transferee of shares of our stock which are transferred to the trust, as described below, is required to give us immediate written notice, or in the case of a proposed or attempted transaction, give at least 15 days prior written notice, and provide us with such information as we may request in order to determine the effect of the transfer on our status as a REIT. The above restrictions will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify as a REIT or that compliance with such restrictions is no longer required for us to qualify as a REIT.
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Any attempted transfer of our stock which, if effective, would result in violation of the above limitations, except for a transfer which results in shares being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons, in which case such transfer will be void and of no force and effect and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares, will cause the number of shares causing the violation, rounded to the nearest whole share, to be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries designated by us and the proposed transferee will not acquire any rights in the shares. The automatic transfer will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day, as defined in our charter, prior to the date of the transfer. Shares of our stock held in the trust will be issued and outstanding shares. The proposed transferee will not benefit economically from ownership of any shares of stock held in the trust, will have no rights to dividends and no rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares of stock held in the trust. The trustee of the trust will have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares held in the trust. These rights will be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiaries. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to our discovery that shares of stock have been transferred to the trust will be paid by the recipient to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid will be paid when due to the trustee. Any dividend or distribution paid to the trustee will be held in trust for the charitable beneficiaries. Subject to Maryland law, the trustee will have the authority to rescind as void any vote cast by the proposed transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust and to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the charitable beneficiaries. However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast the vote.
Within 20 days of receiving notice from us that shares of our stock have been transferred to the trust, the trustee will sell the shares to a person designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the above ownership limitations. Upon the sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiaries in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee and to the charitable beneficiaries as follows. The proposed transferee will receive the lesser of (i) the price paid by the proposed transferee for the shares or, if the proposed transferee did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in the trust, such as a gift, devise or other similar transaction, the market price, as defined in our charter, of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust and (ii) the price per share received by the trustee from the sale or other disposition of the shares. The trustee may reduce the amount payable to the proposed transferee by the amount of dividends and other distributions which have been paid to the proposed transferee and are owed by the proposed transferee to the trustee. Any net sale proceeds in excess of the amount payable per share to the proposed transferee will be paid immediately to the charitable beneficiaries. If, prior to our discovery that shares of our stock have been transferred to the trust, the shares are sold by the proposed transferee, then the shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust and, to the extent that the proposed transferee received an amount for the shares that exceeds the amount he was entitled to receive, the excess shall be paid to the trustee upon demand.
In addition, shares of our stock held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of (i) the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the transfer to the trust, or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of the devise or gift and (ii) the market price on the date we, or our designee, accept the offer. We will have the right to accept the offer until the trustee has sold the shares. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiaries in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee.
We may reduce the amount payable to the proposed transferee by the amount of dividends and other distributions which have been paid to the proposed transferee and are owed by the proposed transferee to the trustee. We may pay the amount of such reduction to the trustee for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary.
If the transfer to the trust as described above is not automatically effective for any reason to prevent violation of the above limitations or our failing to qualify as a REIT, then the transfer of the number of shares that otherwise cause any person to violate the above limitations will be void and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares.
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All certificates, if any, representing shares of our stock issued in the future will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.
Every owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our stock during any taxable year, or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder or as otherwise required by our board of directors, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, is required to give us written notice, stating his or her name and address, the number of shares of each class and series of our stock which he or she beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner shall provide us with such additional information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of its beneficial ownership on our status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits. In addition, each stockholder shall, upon demand, be required to provide us with such information as we may request in good faith in order to determine our status as a REIT and to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance.
Any subsequent transferee to whom you transfer any of your shares of our stock must also comply with the suitability standards we have established for our stockholders. See the “Suitability Standards” section of this prospectus.
Distribution Policy
We intend to declare distributions based on record dates established by our board of directors and to pay such distributions on a monthly basis. Our distribution policy will be set by our board of directors and is subject to change based on available cash flows. We cannot guarantee the amount of distributions paid, if any. You will not be entitled to receive a distribution if your shares are repurchased prior to the applicable time of the record date. In connection with a distribution to our stockholders, we expect our board of directors to approve a monthly distribution for a certain dollar amount per share for each class of our common stock. We will then calculate each stockholder’s specific distribution amount for the month using applicable record and declaration dates, and your distributions begin to accrue on the date you are admitted as a stockholder.
Distributions will be made on all classes of our common stock at the same time. The per share amount of distributions on Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares will likely differ because of different allocations of class-specific stockholder servicing fees that are deducted from the gross distributions from each share class.
We intend to distribute sufficient income so that we satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT. In order to qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute 90% of our annual REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gains, to our stockholders. See the “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of REITs in General—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Annual Distribution Requirements Applicable to REITs” sections of this prospectus. Generally, income distributed to stockholders will not be taxable to us under the Code if we qualify to be taxed as a REIT.
Distributions will be authorized at the discretion of our board of directors, in accordance with our earnings, cash flows and general financial condition. Our board of directors’ discretion will be directed, in substantial part, by its obligation to cause us to comply with the REIT requirements. Because we may receive income from interest or rents at various times during our fiscal year, distributions may not reflect our income earned in that particular distribution period but may be made in anticipation of cash flows which we expect to receive during a later quarter and may be made in advance of actual receipt of funds in an attempt to make distributions relatively uniform. Due to these timing differences, we may be required to borrow money, use proceeds from the issuance of securities (in this offering or subsequent offerings, if any) or sell assets in order to distribute amounts sufficient to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement. We have not established any limit on the amount of proceeds from this offering that may be used to fund distributions other than those limits imposed by our
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organizational documents and Maryland law. See the “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus for information concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions paid by us.
There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner, an affiliate of Starwood Capital), and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, the extent to which the Advisor elects to receive its management fee in Class I shares or Class I units and the Special Limited Partner elects to receive distributions on its performance participation interest in Class I units, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments, including our real estate-related debt and real estate-related securities portfolios. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire properties or other real estate-related investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.
Under the MGCL, our board of directors may delegate to a committee of directors the power to fix the amount and other terms of a distribution. In addition, if our board of directors gives general authorization for a distribution and provides for or establishes a method or procedure for determining the maximum amount of the distribution, our board of directors may delegate to one of our officers the power, in accordance with the general authorization, to fix the amount and other terms of the distribution.
Distributions in kind shall not be permitted, except for distributions of readily marketable securities, distributions of beneficial interests in a liquidating trust established for our dissolution and the liquidation of our assets in accordance with the terms of our charter or distributions in which (a) our board of directors advises each stockholder of the risks associated with direct ownership of the property, (b) our board of directors offers each stockholder the election of receiving suchin-kind distributions, and(c) in-kind distributions are made only to those stockholders that accept such offer. Our stockholders who receive distributions in kind of marketable securities may incur transaction expenses in liquidating the securities.
Distribution Reinvestment Plan
We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan whereby stockholders (other than clients of certain participating broker-dealers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan and residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Washington) will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock unless they elect to receive their distributions in cash. Clients of certain participating broker-dealers and residents of certain states that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to have their cash distributions reinvested in additional shares of our common stock. Any cash distributions attributable to the class or classes of shares owned by participants in the distribution reinvestment plan will be immediately reinvested in our shares on behalf of the participants on the business day such distribution would have been paid to such stockholder. See the “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” section of this prospectus for information concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of participating in the distribution reinvestment plan.
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The per share purchase price for shares purchased pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the transaction price at the time the distribution is payable. Stockholders will not pay upfront selling commissions when purchasing shares pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing fees with respect to shares of our Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares are calculated based on our NAV for those shares and may reduce the NAV or, alternatively, the distributions payable with respect to shares of each such class, including shares issued in respect of distributions on such shares under the distribution reinvestment plan. Shares acquired under the distribution reinvestment plan will entitle the participant to the same rights and be treated in the same manner as shares of that class purchased in this offering.
We reserve the right to amend any aspect of our distribution reinvestment plan without the consent of our stockholders, provided that notice of any material amendment is sent to participants at least ten business days prior to the effective date of that amendment. In addition, we may suspend or terminate the distribution reinvestment plan for any reason at any time upon ten business days’ prior written notice to participants. A stockholder’s participation in the plan will be terminated to the extent that a reinvestment of such stockholder’s distributions in our shares would cause the percentage ownership or other limitations contained in our charter to be violated. Participants may terminate their participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with ten business days’ prior written notice to us.
Account Statements
Our transfer agent will provide on a quarterly basis to each participant in the distribution reinvestment plan a statement of account describing, as to such participant, (1) the distributions reinvested during the quarter, (2) the number of shares purchased during the quarter, (3) the per share purchase price for such shares and (4) the total number of shares purchased on behalf of the participant under the plan. On an annual basis, tax information with respect to income earned on shares under the plan for the calendar year will be provided to each applicable participant.
Restrictions onRoll-Up Transactions
In connection with any proposed transaction considered a“Roll-up Transaction” involving us and the issuance of securities of an entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of theRoll-up Transaction, an appraisal of all of our assets must be obtained from a competent independent appraiser. If the appraisal will be included in a prospectus used to offer the securities of theroll-up entity, the appraisal shall be filed with the SEC and the states. The assets will be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal will be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and shall indicate the value of the assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposedRoll-up Transaction. The appraisal will assume an orderly liquidation of assets over a12-month period. The terms of the engagement of the independent appraiser shall clearly state that the engagement is for our benefit and the benefit of our stockholders. A summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, will be included in a report to stockholders in connection with any proposedRoll-up Transaction.
A“Roll-up Transaction” is a transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation, directly or indirectly, of us and the issuance of securities of another entity (a“Roll-up Entity”) that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of such transaction. The termRoll-up Transaction does not include:
• | a transaction involving our securities that have been for at least 12 months listed on a national securities exchange; or |
• | a transaction involving our conversion to a corporate, trust, or association form if, as a consequence of the transaction, there will be no significant adverse change in any of the following: stockholder voting rights; the term of our existence; compensation to the Advisor; or our investment objectives. |
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In connection with a proposedRoll-up Transaction, the person sponsoring theRoll-up Transaction must offer to common stockholders who vote “no” on the proposal the choice of:
• | accepting the securities of aRoll-up Entity offered in the proposedRoll-up Transaction; or |
• | one of the following: |
• | remaining as holders of our stock and preserving their interests therein on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or |
• | receiving cash in an amount equal to the stockholder’s pro rata share of the appraised value of our net assets. |
We are prohibited from participating in any proposedRoll-up Transaction:
• | that would result in the common stockholders having democracy rights in aRoll-up Entity that are less than those provided in our charter and bylaws and described elsewhere in this prospectus, including rights with respect to the election and removal of directors, annual reports, annual and special meetings, amendment of our charter, and our dissolution; |
• | that includes provisions that would operate to materially impede or frustrate the accumulation of shares of stock by any purchaser of the securities of theRoll-up Entity, except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of theRoll-up Entity, or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of theRoll-up Entity on the basis of the number of shares of stock held by that investor; |
• | in which investor’s rights to access of records of theRoll-up Entity will be less than those provided in the “—Meetings and Special Voting Requirements” section above; or |
• | in which any of the costs of theRoll-up Transaction would be borne by us if theRoll-up Transaction is rejected by our common stockholders. |
Registration Rights Agreements
We anticipate entering into a registration rights agreement with the Advisor and the Special Limited Partner, pursuant to which the Advisor or the Special Limited Partner may require us to prepare and file, at our expense, a shelf registration statement relating to the resale of all shares of our common stock currently held or later acquired by them or their permitted transferees and under certain circumstances they may require us to file resale registration statements on demand and provide unlimited “piggyback” rights with respect to the resale of such shares (subject to certain cutback and other provisions).
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CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS
The following description of the terms of certain provisions of Maryland law and our charter and bylaws is only a summary. For a complete description, we refer you to the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws. We have filed our charter and bylaws as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Business Combinations
Under the MGCL, business combinations between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:
• | any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10.0% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or |
• | an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within thetwo-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10.0% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding stock of the corporation. |
A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which he otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board of directors.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
• | 80.0% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and |
• | two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares of stock held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder. |
These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares of our common stock in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares of our common stock.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution providing that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from this statute, provided that such business combination is first approved by our board of directors. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. If this resolution is repealed or our board of directors fails to first approve the business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Control Share Acquisitions
The MGCL provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote oftwo-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the
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matter. Shares of stock owned by the acquiror, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation are excluded from shares of stock entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
• | one-tenth or more but less thanone-third; |
• | one-third or more but less than a majority; or |
• | a majority or more of all voting power. |
Control shares do not include shares of stock the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval or shares acquired directly from the corporation. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares of stock. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders’ meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares of stock are considered and not approved or, if no such meeting is held, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders’ meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares of stock entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares of stock as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply (1) to shares of stock acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction, or (2) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions of our stock by any person. There can be no assurance that this provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future.
Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act, and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:
• | a classified board of directors; |
• | atwo-thirds vote requirement for removing a director; |
• | a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the directors; |
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• | a requirement that a vacancy on the board of directors be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred; and |
• | a majority requirement for the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders. |
In our charter, we have elected that vacancies on our board of directors be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred. Through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we vest in our board of directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships, provided that the number is not less than three. We have not elected to be subject to any of the other provisions of Subtitle 8.
Vacancies on Board of Directors; Removal of Directors
Any vacancy created by the death, resignation, removal, adjudicated incompetence or other incapacity of a director or an increase in the number of directors may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum. Any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualified. Our independent directors will choose the nominees to fill vacancies in our independent director positions.
Any director may resign at any time and may be removed with or without cause by our stockholders upon the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. The notice of any special meeting called for the purpose of the proposed removal shall indicate that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to determine if the director shall be removed.
Advance Notice of Director Nominations and New Business
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to the board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by our stockholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (3) by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record at the record date set by our board of directors for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, at the time of giving the advance notice required by the bylaws and at the time of the meeting (and any postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual nominated or on such other business and who has complied with the advance notice procedures of the bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors at a special meeting may be made only (1) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (2) provided that the meeting has been called for the purpose of electing directors, by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record at the record date set by our board of directors for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, at the time of giving the advance notice required by the bylaws and at the time of the meeting (and any postponement or adjournment thereof), who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual nominated and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.
Tender Offers
Our charter provides that any tender offer made by any person, including any “mini-tender” offer, must comply with the provisions of Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act, including the notice and disclosure requirements. Among other things, the offeror must provide us notice of such tender offer at least ten business days before initiating the tender offer. If a person makes a tender offer that does not comply with such provisions, we may elect to grant tendering stockholders a rescission right with respect to their tendered shares. In addition, thenon-complying offeror will be responsible for all of our expenses in connection with that offeror’s noncompliance.
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Anti-takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of our Charter and Bylaws
The business combination provisions and the control share acquisition provisions of Maryland law, the provision of our charter electing to be subject to a provision of Subtitle 8, and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of our company that might involve a premium price for stockholders or otherwise be in their best interest.
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SUMMARY OF OUR OPERATING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
We have summarized the material terms and provisions of the Limited Partnership Agreement of Starwood REIT Operating Partnership, L.P., which we refer to as the “partnership agreement.”
Management of Our Operating Partnership
Starwood REIT Operating Partnership, LP was formed on July 13, 2017 to acquire and hold assets on our behalf.
We intend to hold substantially all of our assets in the Operating Partnership or in subsidiary entities in which the Operating Partnership owns an interest. For purposes of satisfying the asset and gross income tests for qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our proportionate share of the assets and income of the Operating Partnership will be deemed to be our assets and income.
We are and expect to continue to be the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of the date of this prospectus, the only limited partners of the Operating Partnership are us, in our capacity as limited partner, and Starwood REIT Special Limited Partner, L.L.C., the special limited partner of the Operating Partnership and an affiliate of Starwood Capital.
As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, we have the exclusive power to manage and conduct the business of the Operating Partnership. A general partner is accountable to a limited partnership as a fiduciary and consequently must exercise good faith and integrity in handling partnership affairs. No limited partner of the Operating Partnership may transact business for the Operating Partnership, or participate in management activities or decisions, except as provided in the partnership agreement and as required by applicable law. We may not be removed as general partner by the limited partners. Our board of directors will at all times have oversight and policy-making authority, including responsibility for governance, financial controls, compliance and disclosure with respect to the Operating Partnership. However, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, we have delegated to the Advisor authority to make decisions related to the management of our and the Operating Partnership’s assets, including sourcing, evaluating and monitoring our investment opportunities and making decisions related to the acquisition, management, financing and disposition of our assets, in accordance with our investment objectives, guidelines, policies and limitations, subject to oversight by our board of directors.
The Special Limited Partner has expressly acknowledged and any future limited partners of the Operating Partnership will expressly acknowledge that we, as general partner, are acting on behalf of the Operating Partnership, ourselves and our stockholders collectively. Neither we nor our board of directors is under any obligation to give priority to the separate interests of the limited partners of the Operating Partnership or our stockholders in deciding whether to cause the Operating Partnership to take or decline to take any actions. If there is a conflict between the interests of our stockholders on the one hand and the Operating Partnership’s limited partners on the other, we will endeavor in good faith to resolve the conflict in a manner not adverse to either our stockholders or the Operating Partnership’s limited partners, provided, however, that for so long as we own a controlling interest in the Operating Partnership, any conflict that cannot be resolved in a manner not adverse to either our stockholders or the Operating Partnership’s limited partners may be resolved in favor of our stockholders. We are not liable under the partnership agreement to the Operating Partnership or to any of its limited partners for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived by such limited partners in connection with such decisions, provided that we have acted in good faith.
The partnership agreement requires that the Operating Partnership be operated in a manner that will enable us to (1) satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, unless we otherwise cease to qualify as a REIT, (2) avoid any U.S. federal income or excise tax liability and (3) ensure that the Operating Partnership will not be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” that is taxable as a corporation. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
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Capital Contributions
We intend to contribute the net proceeds from this offering, after payment of fees and expenses attributable to our offering and operations, to the Operating Partnership as capital contributions. However, we will be deemed to have made capital contributions in the amount of the gross offering proceeds received from investors, and the Operating Partnership will be deemed to have simultaneously paid the fees, commissions and other costs associated with this offering and our operations.
If the Operating Partnership requires additional funds at any time in excess of capital contributions made by us, the Operating Partnership may borrow funds from a financial institution or other lenders or we or any of our affiliates may provide such additional funds through loans, purchase of additional partnership interests or otherwise (which we or such affiliates will have the option, but not the obligation, of providing). In addition, the Operating Partnership may admit additional limited partners whose investments may be subject to a different management fee and repurchase limitations if our board of directors concludes in good faith that such admittance is in our best interest.
Limited Partnership Units Generally
Limited partnership units represent an interest as a limited partner in the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership may issue additional partnership units and classes of partnership units with rights different from, and superior to, those of limited partnership units of any class, without the consent of the limited partners. Holders of limited partnership units do not have any preemptive rights with respect to the issuance of additional units.
Limited partners of any class do not have the right to participate in the management of the Operating Partnership. Limited partners of any class who do not participate in the management of the Operating Partnership, by virtue of their status as limited partners, generally are not liable for the debts and liabilities of the Operating Partnership beyond the amount of their capital contributions. The voting rights of the limited partners of any class are generally limited to approval of specific types of amendments to the Operating Partnership agreement.
Class T Units, Class S Units, Class D Units and Class I Units
Partnership interests in the Operating Partnership, other than the special limited partner interest and general partner interest, are currently divided into four classes of units: (a) Class T units; (b) Class S units; (c) Class D units; and (d) Class I units. In general, the Class T units, Class S units, Class D units and Class I units are intended to correspond on aone-for-one basis with our Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. When we receive proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock, we will contribute such proceeds to the Operating Partnership and receive Operating Partnership units that correspond to the classes of our shares sold.
In general, each Class T unit, Class S unit, Class D unit and Class I unit will share in distributions from the Operating Partnership when such distributions are declared by us, the general partner, which decision will be made in our sole discretion. Upon the Operating Partnership’s liquidation, Class T units, Class S units and Class D units will automatically convert to Class I units, in each case in proportion to the NAV per unit of each class, and the resulting Class I units will share on aunit-by-unit basis in the assets of the operating partnership that are available for distribution, after payment of all liabilities, establishment of reserves and after payment of any preferred return owed to holders of any limited partnership preferred units and payment of the portion distributable to the holder of the special limited partner interest. In addition, a portion of the items of income, gain, loss and deduction of the operating partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be allocated to each limited partnership unit, regardless of whether any distributions are made by the Operating Partnership.
For each Class T unit, Class S unit, Class D unit or Class I unit, investors generally will be required to contribute money or property, with a net equity value determined by the general partner. Holders of Operating Partnership
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units will not be obligated to make additional capital contributions to the Operating Partnership. Further, these holders will not have the right to make additional capital contributions to the Operating Partnership or to purchase additional Operating Partnership units without our consent as general partner.
The Advisor may elect to receive its management fee in cash, Class I shares or Class I units, and distributions on the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation interest may be payable in cash or Class I units at the election of the Special Limited Partner. See “Compensation—Management Fee” and “—Special Limited Partner Interest” below.
For holders other than us, the Advisor or the Special Limited Partner, after owning an Operating Partnership unit for one year, Operating Partnership unit holders generally may, subject to certain restrictions, exchange Operating Partnership units for a corresponding number of shares of our common stock. The Advisor and the Special Limited Partner may exchange Class I units for a corresponding number of Class I shares at any time. The Advisor and the Special Limited Partner will have the option of exchanging Class I shares for an equivalent aggregate NAV amount of Class T, Class S or Class D shares and will have registration rights with respect to shares of our common stock. See “Description of Capital Stock—Registration Rights.”
Special Limited Partner Interest
So long as the Advisory Agreement has not been terminated (including by means ofnon-renewal), the Special Limited Partner will hold a performance participation interest in the Operating Partnership that entitles it to receive cash distributions (or Operating Partnership units at its election) from our Operating Partnership equal to 12.5% of the Total Return, subject to a 5% Hurdle Amount and a High Water Mark, with aCatch-Up (each term as defined below). Such distributions will be paid annually.
Specifically, the Special Limited Partner will be paid a performance participation distribution in an amount equal to:
• | First, if the Total Return for the applicable period exceeds the sum of (i) the Hurdle Amount for that period and (ii) the Loss Carryforward Amount (any such excess, “Excess Profits”), 100% of such Excess Profits until the total amount paid to the Special Limited Partner equals 12.5% of the sum of (x) the Hurdle Amount for that period and (y) any amount paid to the Special Limited Partner pursuant to this clause (this is commonly referred to as a“Catch-Up”); and |
• | Second, to the extent there are remaining Excess Profits, 12.5% of such remaining Excess Profits. |
“Total Return” for any period since the end of the prior calendar year shall equal the sum of:
(i) | all distributions accrued or paid (without duplication) on the Operating Partnership units outstanding at the end of such period since the beginning of the then-current calendar yearplus |
(ii) | the change in aggregate NAV of such units since the beginning of the year, before giving effect to (x) changes resulting solely from the proceeds of issuances of Operating Partnership units, (y) any performance participation accrual and (z) applicable stockholder servicing fee expenses (including any payments made to us for payment of such expenses). |
For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of Total Return will (i) include any appreciation or depreciation in the NAV of units issued during the then-current calendar year but (ii) exclude the proceeds from the initial issuance of such units.
“Hurdle Amount” for any period during a calendar year means that amount that results in a 5% annualized internal rate of return on the NAV of the Operating Partnership units outstanding at the beginning of the then-current calendar year and all Operating Partnership units issued since the beginning of the then-current calendar year, taking into account the timing and amount of all distributions accrued or paid (without duplication) on all
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such units and all issuances of Operating Partnership units over the period and calculated in accordance with recognized industry practices. The ending NAV of the Operating Partnership units used in calculating the internal rate of return will be calculated before giving effect to any accrual of performance participation interest and applicable stockholder servicing fee expenses, provided that the calculation of the Hurdle Amount for any period will exclude any Operating Partnership units repurchased during such period, which units will be subject to the performance participation distribution upon repurchase as described below.
Except as described in Loss Carryforward below, any amount by which Total Return falls below the Hurdle Amount will not be carried forward to subsequent periods.
“Loss Carryforward Amount” shall initially equal zero and shall cumulatively increase by the absolute value of any negative annual Total Return and decrease by any positive annual Total Return, provided that the Loss Carryforward Amount shall at no time be less than zero and provided further that the calculation of the Loss Carryforward Amount will exclude the Total Return related to any Operating Partnership units repurchased during such year, which units will be subject to the performance participation distribution upon repurchase as described below. The effect of the Loss Carryforward Amount is that the recoupment of past annual Total Return losses will offset the positive annual Total Return for purposes of the calculation of the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation. This is referred to as a “High Water Mark.”
The Special Limited Partner will also receive a performance participation with respect to all Operating Partnership units that are repurchased at the end of any month (in connection with repurchases of our shares in our share repurchase plan) in an amount calculated as described above with the relevant period being the portion of the year for which such unit was outstanding, and proceeds for any such unit repurchase will be reduced by the amount of any such performance participation.
Distributions on the performance participation interest may be payable in cash or Class I units at the election of the Special Limited Partner. If the Special Limited Partner elects to receive such distributions in Class I units, the Special Limited Partner may request the Operating Partnership to repurchase such Class I units from the Special Limited Partner at a later date. Any such repurchase requests will not be subject to the Early Repurchase Deduction but will be subject to the same repurchase limits that exist under our share repurchase plan. The Operating Partnership will repurchase any such Operating Partnership units for cash unless our board of directors determines that any such repurchase for cash would be prohibited by applicable law or our charter, in which case such Operating Partnership units will be repurchased for shares of our common stock with an equivalent aggregate NAV.
The NAV of the Operating Partnership calculated on the last trading day of a calendar year shall be the amount against which changes in NAV is measured during the subsequent calendar year. In our first calendar year of operations, the performance participation will be prorated for the portion of the calendar year.
The measurement of the foregoing net assets change is also subject to adjustment by our board of directors to account for any unit dividend, unit split, recapitalization or any other similar change in the Operating Partnership’s capital structure or any distributions made after the commencement of this offering that the board of directors deems to be a return of capital (if such changes are not already reflected in the Operating Partnership’s net assets).
The Special Limited Partner will not be obligated to return any portion of performance participation paid based on our subsequent performance.
Changes in our Operating Partnership’s NAV per unit of each class will generally correspond to changes in our NAV per share of the corresponding class of our common stock, except that for purposes of calculating the Special Limited Partner’s performance participation the effect of any payment of the performance participation or any stockholder servicing fee expenses will be excluded. Distributions with respect to the performance
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participation interest are calculated from the Operating Partnership’s Total Return over a calendar year. As a result, the Special Limited Partner may be entitled to receive a performance participation for a given year even if some of our stockholders who purchased shares during such year experienced a decline in NAV per share. Similarly, stockholders whose shares are repurchased during a given year may have their shares repurchased at a lower NAV per share as a result of an accrual for the estimated performance participation at such time, even if no performance participation for such year is ultimately payable to the Special Limited Partner at the end of such calendar year.
In the event the Advisory Agreement is terminated, the Special Limited Partner will receive a distribution of any accrued performance participation with respect to all Operating Partnership units as of the date of such termination.
Issuance of Additional Limited Partnership Interests
As sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, we will have the ability to cause the Operating Partnership to issue additional limited partnership interests (including Operating Partnership units), preferred partnership interests or convertible securities.
Our Operating Partnership allows us to be organized as an UPREIT. A sale of property directly to a REIT is generally a taxable transaction to the selling property owner. In an UPREIT structure, a seller of appreciated property who desires to defer taxable gain on the transfer of such property may, subject to meeting applicable tax requirements, transfer the property to the Operating Partnership in exchange for limited partnership interests (including Operating Partnership units) on atax-free basis. Being able to offer a seller the opportunity to defer taxation of gain until the seller disposes of its interest in the Operating Partnership may give us a competitive advantage in acquiring desired properties relative to buyers who cannot offer this opportunity.
In addition, investing in the Operating Partnership, rather than in shares of our common stock, may be more attractive to certain institutional or other investors due to their business or tax structure.
Transferability of Interests
Without the consent of a majority in interest of the limited partners of the Operating Partnership, other than interests held by us, we may not voluntarily withdraw as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, engage in any merger, consolidation or other business combination or transfer our general partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (except to a wholly owned subsidiary), unless: (1) the transaction in which such withdrawal, business combination or transfer occurs results in the limited partners of the Operating Partnership receiving or having the right to receive an amount of cash, securities or other property equal in value to the amount they would have received if they had exercised their exchange rights immediately prior to such transaction or (2) in the case of a merger or other business combination, the successor entity contributes substantially all of its assets to the Operating Partnership in return for an interest in the Operating Partnership and agrees to assume all obligations of the general partner of the Operating Partnership.
With certain exceptions, the limited partners may not transfer their interests in the Operating Partnership, in whole or in part, without our written consent, as general partner.
Exculpation
We, as general partner, will not be liable to the Operating Partnership or limited partners for errors in judgment or other acts or omissions not amounting to willful misconduct or gross negligence since provision has been made in the partnership agreement for exculpation of the general partner. Therefore, purchasers of interests in the Operating Partnership have a more limited right of action than they would have absent the limitation in the partnership agreement.
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Indemnification
The partnership agreement provides for the indemnification of us, as general partner, by the Operating Partnership for liabilities we incur in dealings with third parties on behalf of the Operating Partnership. To the extent that the indemnification provisions purport to include indemnification of liabilities arising under the Securities Act, in the opinion of the SEC and certain state regulators, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and therefore unenforceable.
Tax Matters
We are the Operating Partnership’s partnership representative, for purposes of Internal Revenue Service examinations of the Operating Partnership and, as general partner of the Operating Partnership, have the authority to make tax elections under the Code on the Operating Partnership’s behalf.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following summary describes certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the ownership of our common stock as of the date hereof by U.S. holders andnon-U.S. holders, each as defined below. Except where noted, this summary deals only with common stock held as a capital asset and does not deal with special situations, such as those of dealers in securities or currencies, financial institutions, regulated investment companies,tax-exempt entities (except as described in “—Taxation ofTax-Exempt Holders of Our Common Stock” below), insurance companies, persons holding common stock as a part of a hedging, integrated, conversion or constructive sale transaction or a straddle, traders in securities that elect to use amark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings, persons liable for alternative minimum tax, investors in pass-through entities or U.S. holders of common stock whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar. This summary does not discuss any state, local ornon-U.S. tax considerations.
Furthermore, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code and Treasury regulations, IRS rulings and judicial decisions thereunder as of the date hereof, and such authorities may be repealed, revoked or modified, possibly with retroactive effect, resulting in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. Tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Most of the changes applicable to individuals are temporary and apply only to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued significant proposed guidance under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but guidance on additional issues, finalization of proposed guidance and possible technical corrections legislation may adversely affect us or our stockholders. In addition, further changes to the tax laws, unrelated to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, are possible.
Prospective stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the status of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and any other regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on investment in our common stock.
No ruling on the U.S. federal, state, or local tax considerations relevant to our operation or to the purchase, ownership or disposition of our common stock has been requested from the IRS or any other tax authority. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. The summary is also based upon the assumption that we and our subsidiaries and affiliated entities will operate in accordance with our and their applicable organizational documents.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of us and holders of our common stock depends in some instances on determinations of fact and interpretations of complex provisions of U.S. federal income tax law for which no clear precedent or authority may be available. In addition, the tax consequences to any particular stockholder of holding our common stock will depend on the stockholder’s particular tax circumstances. You are urged to consult your own tax advisors concerning your U.S. federal income tax consequences in light of your particular situation as well as consequences arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
Our Taxation as a REIT
We intend to elect and qualify to be taxed as a REIT under the Code commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2019. Furthermore, we intend to operate in such a manner as to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the applicable provisions of the Code so long as our board of directors determines that REIT qualification remains in our best interest.
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In connection with this offering, Alston & Bird LLP has rendered an opinion dated December 18, 2017 that, commencing with our first taxable year in which we make an election to be taxed as a REIT, we will be organized in conformity with the requirements under the Code for qualification as a REIT, and our proposed method of operation will enable us to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. Investors should be aware that the opinion of Alston & Bird LLP is based upon customary assumptions, is conditioned upon certain representations made by us as to factual matters, including representations regarding the nature of our assets, income, organizational documents, stockholder ownership, and the present and future conduct of our business. In addition, the opinion of Alston & Bird LLP is based on U.S. federal income tax law governing qualification as a REIT in effect as of the date thereof, which is subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. Moreover, our qualification and taxation as a REIT depend upon our ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual annual operating results, certain qualification tests set forth in the Code. Those qualification tests involve the percentage of income that we earn from specified sources, the percentage of our assets that falls within specified categories, the diversity of the ownership of our shares, and the percentage of our taxable income that we distribute. Alston & Bird LLP will not review our compliance with those tests on a continuing basis. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that our actual results of operations for any particular taxable year will satisfy such requirements. We have not received, and do not intend to seek, any rulings from the IRS regarding our status as a REIT or our satisfaction of any of the REIT qualification requirements. Alston & Bird LLP’s opinion is not binding on the IRS or the courts. The IRS may challenge our status as a REIT, and a court could sustain any such challenge. For a discussion of the tax consequences of our failure to qualify as a REIT, see “—Failure to Qualify.”
The sections of the Code and the corresponding regulations that govern the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a REIT and its stockholders are highly technical and complex. The following discussion is qualified in its entirety by the applicable Code provisions, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and IRS administrative interpretations thereof.
Taxation of REITs in General
As indicated above, our qualification and taxation as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, various qualification requirements imposed upon REITs by the Code. The material qualification requirements are summarized below under “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT.” While we intend to operate so that we qualify as a REIT, no assurance can be given that the IRS will not challenge our qualification, or that we will be able to operate in accordance with the REIT requirements in the future. See “—Failure to Qualify.”
Provided that we qualify as a REIT, we generally will be entitled to a deduction for dividends that we pay and therefore will not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our taxable income that is currently distributed to our stockholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the “double taxation” at the corporate and stockholder levels that generally results from an investment in a C corporation (i.e., a corporation generally subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax). Double taxation means taxation once at the corporate level when income is earned and once again at the stockholder level when the income is distributed. In general, the income that we generate, to the extent distributed to stockholders as a dividend, is taxed only at the stockholder level.
If we qualify as a REIT, we will nonetheless be subject to U.S. federal tax in the following circumstances:
• | We will pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income, including net capital gains, that we do not distribute to stockholders during, or within a specified time after, the calendar year in which the income is earned. |
• | If we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” which are, in general, sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, other than foreclosure property, such income will be subject to a 100% tax. |
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• | If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or from certain leasehold terminations as “foreclosure property,” (a) we may thereby avoid the 100% tax on gain from a resale of that property (if the sale would otherwise constitute a prohibited transaction) and (b) any income from such property will be treated as qualifying for purposes of the REIT gross income tests discussed below, but the income from the sale or operation of the property that would not otherwise be qualifying income for purposes of the REIT gross income tests would be subject to U.S. corporate income tax at the highest corporate income tax rate. |
• | If we fail to satisfy either the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test discussed below, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because other requirements are met, we will be subject to a 100% tax on the greater of the amount by which we fail the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, multiplied in either case by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability. |
• | If we fail to satisfy the asset tests (other than a de minimis failure of the 5% asset test or the 10% vote or value test, as described below under “—Asset Tests”) but nevertheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because other requirements are met, we will pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the net income from the nonqualifying assets during the period in which we failed to satisfy such asset tests multiplied by the highest corporate income tax rate. |
• | If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification, other than the gross income tests and the asset tests, and the failure was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure. |
• | We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet recordkeeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of a REIT’s stockholders, as described below in “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT.” |
• | If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of: |
• | 85% of our ordinary income for such calendar year; |
• | 95% of our capital gain net income for such calendar year; and |
• | any undistributed taxable income from prior taxable years, |
we will pay a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the amount we actually distributed, plus any retained amounts on which we paid corporate income tax.
• | If we elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain, a U.S. holder would include its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain (to the extent we make a timely designation of such gain to the stockholder) in its income and would receive a credit or a refund for its proportionate share of the tax we paid. |
• | We will be subject to a 100% excise tax on amounts received by us from a taxable REIT subsidiary (or on certain expenses deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary) if certain arrangements between us and a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours, as further described below, are not comparable to similar arrangements among unrelated parties. |
• | If we acquire any assets in a carry-over basis transaction from anon-REIT C corporation that does not elect to recognize itsbuilt-in gain in such assets, i.e., the excess of the fair market value of such assets over the adjusted basis of such assets at the time we acquire such assets, we would be subject to tax at the highest regular corporate income tax rate on thebuilt-in gain if we dispose of thatbuilt-in gain asset during the five-year period following its acquisition. |
In addition, notwithstanding our status as a REIT, we may also have to pay certain state and local income taxes. Moreover, as further described below, any domestic taxable REIT subsidiary in which we own an interest will be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on its net income.
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Requirements for Qualification as a REIT.The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:
(1) | that is managed by one or more trustees or directors; |
(2) | the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest; |
(3) | that would be taxable as a domestic corporation but for its election to be subject to tax as a REIT; |
(4) | that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company subject to certain provisions of the Code; |
(5) | the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons; |
(6) | of which not more than 50% in value of the outstanding shares are owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) after applying certain attribution rules; |
(7) | that makes an election to be a REIT for the current taxable year or has made such an election for a previous taxable year, which has not been terminated or revoked; and |
(8) | that meets other tests described below regarding its gross income, assets and distributions. |
Conditions (1) through (4), inclusive, must be met during the entire taxable year. Condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Condition (6) must be met during the last half of each taxable year. Neither condition (5) nor condition (6) applies to the first taxable year for which an election to be taxed as a REIT is made. We believe that we will maintain sufficient diversity of ownership to allow us to satisfy conditions (5) and (6) above. In addition, our charter contains restrictions regarding the ownership and transfer of our stock that are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership requirements described in (5) and (6) above. The provisions of our charter restricting the ownership and transfer of our stock are described in “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” These restrictions, however, may not ensure that we will be able to satisfy these share ownership requirements. If we fail to satisfy these share ownership requirements, we will fail to qualify as a REIT.
If we comply with regulatory rules pursuant to which we are required to send annual letters to holders of our stock requesting information regarding the actual ownership of our stock (as discussed below), and we do not know, or exercising reasonable diligence would not have known, whether we failed to meet requirement (6) above, we will be treated as having met the requirement.
To monitor compliance with the share ownership requirements, we generally are required to maintain records regarding the actual ownership of our shares. To do so, we must demand written statements each year from the record holders of specified percentages of our stock pursuant to which the record holders must disclose the actual owners of the shares (i.e., the persons required to include our dividends in their gross income). We must maintain a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with this demand as part of our records. We could be subject to monetary penalties if we fail to comply with these record-keeping requirements. If you fail or refuse to comply with the demands, you will be required by Treasury regulations to submit a statement with your tax return disclosing your actual ownership of our shares and other information. In addition, we must satisfy all relevant filing and other administrative requirements established by the IRS to elect and maintain REIT status, use a calendar year for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and comply with the record-keeping requirements of the Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder.
Ownership of Partnership Interests. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Treasury regulations provide that the REIT is deemed to own its proportionate share of the partnership’s assets for purposes of the asset tests described below and to earn its proportionate share of the partnership’s gross income for purposes of the gross income tests described below,
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based on its pro rata share of capital interests in the partnership. However, solely for purposes of the 10% value test described below (see “—Asset Tests”), the determination of a REIT’s interest in a partnership’s assets will be based on the REIT’s proportionate interest in any securities issued by the partnership, excluding for these purposes, certain excluded securities as described in the Code. In addition, the assets and gross income of the partnership generally are deemed to retain the same character in the hands of the REIT. Thus, our proportionate share of the assets and items of income of partnerships in which we own an equity interest is treated as our assets and items of gross income for purposes of applying the REIT requirements described below. Consequently, to the extent that we directly or indirectly hold a preferred or other equity interest in a partnership, the partnership’s assets and operations may affect our ability to qualify as a REIT, even if we have no control or only limited influence over the partnership.
Disregarded Subsidiaries. If a REIT owns a corporate subsidiary that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary,” the separate existence of that subsidiary is disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A qualified REIT subsidiary is a corporation or other entity that otherwise would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, other than a taxable REIT subsidiary, all of the stock of which is owned directly or indirectly by the REIT. Other entities that are wholly owned by us, including single member limited liability companies that have not elected to be taxed as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are also generally disregarded as separate entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including for purposes of the REIT gross income and asset tests. All assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of qualified REIT subsidiaries and disregarded subsidiaries will be treated as assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the REIT itself. A qualified REIT subsidiary of ours is not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxation, although it may be subject to state and local taxation in some states.
In the event that a qualified REIT subsidiary or a disregarded subsidiary ceases to be wholly owned by us (for example, if any equity interest in the subsidiary is acquired by a person other than us or another disregarded subsidiary of us), the subsidiary’s separate existence would no longer be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Instead, it would have multiple owners and would be treated as either a partnership or a taxable corporation. Such an event could, depending on the circumstances, adversely affect our ability to satisfy the various asset and gross income tests applicable to REITs, including the requirement that REITs generally may not own, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the value or voting power of the outstanding securities of another corporation. See “—Asset Tests” and “—Gross Income Tests.”
Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. A “taxable REIT subsidiary” is an entity that is taxable as a corporation in which we directly or indirectly own stock and that elects with us to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. The separate existence of a taxable REIT subsidiary is not ignored for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a domestic taxable REIT subsidiary generally is subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on its earnings, which may reduce the cash flow that we and our subsidiaries generate in the aggregate and may reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. In addition, if a taxable REIT subsidiary owns, directly or indirectly, securities representing 35% or more of the vote or value of a subsidiary corporation, that subsidiary will also be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. However, an entity will not qualify as a taxable REIT subsidiary if it directly or indirectly operates or manages a lodging or health care facility or, generally, provides to another person, under a franchise, license or otherwise, rights to any brand name under which any lodging facility or health care facility is operated. We generally may not own more than 10%, as measured by voting power or value, of the securities of a corporation that is not a qualified REIT subsidiary unless we and such corporation elect to treat such corporation as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries.
Assets owned, and income earned, by a taxable REIT subsidiary are not attributed to the REIT for purposes of the gross income and asset tests. Rather, the stock issued by a taxable REIT subsidiary to us is an asset in our hands for purposes of the REIT asset tests, and dividends paid to us from such taxable REIT subsidiary, if any, are gross income for purposes of our gross income tests. As a result, income that might not be qualifying income for purposes of the gross income tests applicable to REITs could be earned by our taxable REIT subsidiary
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without affecting our status as a REIT. For example, we may use taxable REIT subsidiaries to perform services or conduct activities that give rise to certain categories of income, such as management fees, or to conduct activities that, if conducted by us directly, would be treated in our hands as prohibited transactions.
We will be required to pay a 100% tax on any redetermined rents, redetermined deductions, excess interest and redetermined TRS service income. In general, redetermined rents are rents from real property that are overstated as a result of services furnished by our taxable REIT subsidiary. Redetermined deductions and excess interest generally represent amounts that are deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary for amounts paid to us that are in excess of the amounts that would have been deducted based on arm’s-length negotiations. Redetermined TRS service income generally means the additional gross income a taxable REIT subsidiary would recognize if it were paid an arm’s length fee for services provided to, or on behalf of, us.
Gross Income Tests
To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy two gross income requirements, each of which is applied on an annual basis. First, at least 75% of our gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions and certain hedging and foreign currency transactions, for each taxable year generally must be derived directly or indirectly from:
• | rents from real property; |
• | interest on debt secured by mortgages on real property or on interests in real property; |
• | dividends or other distributions on, and gain from the sale of, stock in other REITs; |
• | gain from the sale of real property or mortgage loans; |
• | abatements and refunds of taxes on real property; |
• | income and gain derived from foreclosure property (as described below); |
• | amounts (other than amounts the determination of which depends in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person) received or accrued as consideration for entering into agreements (i) to make loans secured by mortgages on real property or on interests in real property or (ii) to purchase or lease real property (including interests in real property and interests in mortgages on real property); and |
• | interest or dividend income from investments in stock or debt instruments attributable to the temporary investment of new capital during theone-year period following our receipt of new capital that we raise through equity offerings (but not our distribution reinvestment plan) or public offerings of debt obligations with at least a five-year term. |
Second, at least 95% of our gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions and certain hedging transactions, for each taxable year must be derived from sources that qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test, and from (i) dividends, (ii) interest and (iii) gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, which need not have any relation to real property.
If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% and 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we may nevertheless qualify as a REIT for that year if our failure to meet the tests is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, and we attach a schedule of the sources of our income to our U.S. federal income tax return. It is not possible, however, to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions. For example, if we fail to satisfy the gross income tests because nonqualifying income that we intentionally recognize exceeds the limits on nonqualifying income, the IRS could conclude that the failure to satisfy the tests was not due to reasonable cause. If these relief provisions are inapplicable to a particular set of circumstances, we will fail to qualify as a REIT. Even if these relief provisions apply, a penalty tax would be imposed based on the amount of nonqualifying income. See “—Taxation of REITs in General.”
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Gross income from a prohibited transaction, i.e., a sale of property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business and that does not satisfy a safe harbor under the Code, is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator in both gross income tests. In addition, certain hedging income and foreign currency gains will be excluded from gross income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests. We will monitor the amount of our nonqualifying income, and we will manage our portfolio to comply at all times with the gross income tests. The following paragraphs discuss some of the specific applications of the gross income tests to us.
Dividends.We may directly or indirectly receive distributions from taxable REIT subsidiaries or other corporations that are not REITs or qualified REIT subsidiaries. These distributions generally are treated as dividend income to the extent of earnings and profits of the distributing corporation. Our dividend income from stock in any corporation (other than any REIT), including any taxable REIT subsidiary, will be qualifyingincome for purposes of the 95% gross income test, but not the 75% gross income test. Dividends that we receive from any REITs in which we own stock and our gain on the sale of the stock in those REITs will be qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests. However, if a REIT in which we own stock fails to qualify as a REIT in any year, our income from such REIT would be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test but not the 75% gross income test.
Interest.The term “interest,” as defined for purposes of both gross income tests, generally excludes any amount that is based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person; however, it generally includes the following: (i) an amount that is received or accrued based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales, and (ii) an amount that is based on the income or profits of a debtor, as long as the debtor derives substantially all of its income from the real property securing the debt by leasing substantially all of its interest in the property, and only to the extent that the amounts received by the debtor would be qualifying “rents from real property” if received directly by a REIT.
Interest on debt secured by mortgages on real property or on interests in real property (including, for this purpose, prepayment penalties, loan assumption fees and late payment charges that are not compensation for services) generally is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. If we receive interest income with respect to a mortgage loan that is secured by both real property and personal property, the value of the personal property securing the loan exceeds 15% of the value of all property securing the loan, and the highest principal amount of the loan outstanding during a taxable year exceeds the fair market value of the real property on the date that we had a binding commitment to acquire or originate the mortgage loan, the interest income will be apportioned between the real property and the other collateral, and interest will qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test only to the extent that it is allocable to the real property. Even if a loan is not secured by real property or is undersecured, the income that it generates may nonetheless qualify for purposes of the 95% gross income test. We expect that the CMBS and RMBS, in which we invest generally will be treated either as interests in a grantor trust or as interests in a real estate mortgage investment conduit, or REMIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that all interest income from such CMBS and RMBS will be qualifying income for the 95% gross income test. In the case of CMBS and RMBS treated as interests in grantor trusts, we would be treated as owning an undivided beneficial ownership interest in the mortgage loans held by the grantor trust. The interest on such mortgage loans would be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test to the extent that the obligation is secured by real property, as discussed above. In the case of CMBS and RMBS treated as interests in a REMIC, income derived from REMIC interests will generally be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. If less than 95% of the assets of the REMIC are real estate assets, however, then only a proportionate part of our interest in the REMIC and income derived from the interest will qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test. In addition, some REMIC securitizations include imbedded interest swap or cap contracts or other derivative instruments that potentially could produce nonqualifying income for the holder of the related REMIC securities.
Interest, original issue discount and market discount income that we receive or accrue from mortgage-related assets generally will be qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests.
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Hedging Transactions. We and our subsidiaries may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including interest rate swap agreements, interest rate cap agreements, options, futures contracts, forward rate agreements or similar financial instruments. Any income from a hedging transaction to manage risk of interest rate changes with respect to borrowings made or to be made, or ordinary obligations incurred or to be incurred, by us to acquire or own real estate assets, or to hedge existing hedging positions after a portion of the hedged indebtedness or property is disposed of, which is clearly identified as such before the close of the day on which it was acquired, originated or entered into, including gain from the disposition of such a transaction, will be disregarded for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. There are also rules for disregarding income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests with respect to hedges of certain foreign currency risks. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as nonqualifying income for purposes of both of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Moreover, to the extent that a position in a hedging transaction has positive value at any particular point in time, it may be treated as an asset that does not qualify for purposes of the asset tests described below. We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our qualification as a REIT. No assurance can be given, however, that our hedging activities will not give rise to income or assets that do not qualify for purposes of the REIT tests or that our hedging will not adversely affect our ability to satisfy the REIT qualification requirements.
We may conduct some or all of our hedging activities through a taxable REIT subsidiary or other corporate entity, the income of which may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, rather than by participating in the arrangements directly or through pass-through subsidiaries.
Fee Income. We may receive various fees in connection with our operations. The fees will be qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests if they are received in consideration for entering into an agreement to make a loan secured by real property or to purchase or lease real property and the fees are not determined by the borrower’s income and profits. Other fees are not qualifying income for purposes of either gross income test.
Rents from Real Property.Rents we receive will qualify as “rents from real property” in satisfying the gross income requirements for a REIT described above only if several conditions described below are met. These conditions relate to the identity of the tenant, the computation of the rent payable, and the nature of the property leased and any services provided in connection with the property. First, the amount of rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, an amount received or accrued generally will not be excluded from rents from real property solely by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales. Second, rents we receive from a “related party tenant” will not qualify as rents from real property in satisfying the gross income tests unless the tenant is a taxable REIT subsidiary, at least 90% of the property is leased to unrelated tenants, the rent paid by the taxable REIT subsidiary is substantially comparable to the rent paid by the unrelated tenants for comparable space and the rent is not attributable to an increase in rent due to a modification of a lease with a “controlled taxable REIT subsidiary” (i.e., a taxable REIT subsidiary in which we own directly or indirectly more than 50% of the voting power or value of the stock). A tenant is a related party tenant if the REIT, or an actual or constructive owner of 10% or more of the REIT, actually or constructively owns 10% or more of the tenant. Whether rents paid by a taxable REIT subsidiary are substantially comparable to rents paid by other tenants is determined at the time the lease with the taxable REIT subsidiary is entered into, extended, or modified, if such modification increases the rents due under such lease.We also may lease “qualified lodging facilities” and “qualified health care properties” to our TRS if the TRS engages an “eligible independent contractor” to manage such properties. Third, if rent attributable to personalproperty leased in connection with a lease of real property is greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease, then the portion of rent attributable to the personal property will not qualify as rents from real property. Finally, for rents to qualify as “rents from real property” for purposes of the gross income tests, we are only allowed to provide services that are both usually or “customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of real property and not otherwise considered “rendered to the occupant” of the property. Examples of these permitted services include the provision of light, heat, or other utilities, trash removal and general maintenance of common
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areas. We may, however, render services to our tenants through an “independent contractor” who is adequately compensated and from whom we do not derive revenue if certain requirements are satisfied. We may also own an interest in a taxable REIT subsidiary which provides services to tenants without tainting our rental income from the related properties.
Even if a REIT directly furnishes or renders services that arenon-customary with respect to a property or rendered to the tenant, if the greater of (i) the amounts received or accrued, directly or indirectly, or deemed received by the REIT with respect to such services, or (ii) 150% of our direct cost in furnishing or rendering the services during a taxable year is not more than 1% of all amounts received or accrued, directly or indirectly, by the REIT with respect to the property during the same taxable year, then only the amounts with respect to such services are not treated as rent for purposes of the REIT gross income tests.
We intend to cause any services that are not usually or “customarily rendered,” or that are for the benefit of a particular tenant in connection with the rental of real property, to be provided through a taxable REIT subsidiary or through an “independent contractor” that is adequately compensated and from which we do not derive revenue, and which meets certain other requirements. However, no assurance can be given that the IRS will concur with our determination as to whether a particular service is customary.
Prohibited Transactions Tax.A REIT will incur a 100% tax on the net income derived from any sale or other disposition of property, other than foreclosure property, that the REIT holds primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. Whether a REIT holds an asset primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business depends, however, on the facts and circumstances in effect from time to time, including those related to a particular asset. Nevertheless, we intend to conduct our operations so that no asset that we own (or are treated as owning) will be treated as, or as having been, held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We cannot assure you that we will comply with certain safe harbor provisions in the Code that, if satisfied, will prevent covered sales from being treated as prohibited transactions or that we will avoid owning property that may be characterized as property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. The 100% tax will not apply to gains from the sale of property that is held through a taxable REIT subsidiary or other taxable corporation, although such income will be subject to tax in the hands of such corporation at regular corporate income tax rates. We intend to structure our activities to avoid prohibited transaction characterization.
Foreclosure Property. Foreclosure property is any real property, including interests in real property, and any personal property incident to such real property:
• | that is acquired by a REIT as the result of the REIT having bid in such property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced such property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after there was a default or default was imminent on a lease of such property or on indebtedness that such property secured; |
• | for which the related loan was acquired by the REIT at a time when the default was not imminent or anticipated; and |
• | for which the REIT makes a proper election to treat the property as foreclosure property. |
However, a REIT will not be considered to have foreclosed on a property where the REIT takes control of the property as amortgagee-in-possession and cannot receive any profit or sustain any loss except as a creditor of the mortgagor.
Property generally ceases to be foreclosure property at the end of the third taxable year following the taxable year in which the REIT acquired the property, or longer if an extension is granted by the Secretary of the Treasury. This grace period terminates and foreclosure property ceases to be foreclosure property on the first day:
• | on which a lease is entered into for the property that, by its terms, will give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test, or any amount is received or accrued, directly or |
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indirectly, pursuant to a lease entered into on or after such day that will give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test; |
• | on which any construction takes place on the property, other than completion of a building or any other improvement, if more than 10% of the construction was completed before default became imminent; or |
• | which is more than 90 days after the day on which the REIT acquired the property and the property is used in a trade or business that is conducted by the REIT, other than through an independent contractor from whom the REIT itself does not derive or receive any income. |
We will be subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate on any income from foreclosure property, including gain from the disposition of the foreclosure property, other than income that otherwise would be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, less expenses directly connected with the production of that income. However, net income from foreclosure property, including gain from the sale of foreclosure property held for sale in the ordinary course of a trade or business, will qualify for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Any gain from the sale of property for which a foreclosure property election has been made will not be subject to the 100% tax on gains from prohibited transactions described above, even if the property would otherwise constitute inventory or dealer property.
Phantom Income.Due to the nature of the assets in which we will invest, we may be required to recognize taxable income from certain assets in advance of our receipt of cash from, or proceeds from dispositions of such assets, and may be required to report taxable income that exceeds the economic income ultimately realized on such assets.
We may acquire debt instruments in the secondary market for less than their face amount. The amount of such discount generally will be treated as “market discount” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accrued market discount is reported as income when, and to the extent that, any payment of principal of the debt instrument is made, unless we elect to include accrued market discount in income as it accrues. Principal payments on certain debt instruments may be made monthly, and, consequently, accrued market discount may have to be included in income each month as if the debt instrument were assured of ultimately being collected in full. If we collect less on the debt instrument than our purchase price plus the market discount we had previously reported as income, we may not be able to benefit from any offsetting loss deductions.
The terms of the debt instruments that we hold may be modified under certain circumstances. These modifications may be considered “significant modifications” for U.S. federal income tax purposes that give rise to a deemeddebt-for-debt exchange upon which we may recognize taxable income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash.
Some of the debt securities that we acquire may have been issued with original issue discount. In general, we will be required to accruenon-de minimis original issue discount based on the constant yield to maturity of such debt securities, and to treat it as taxable income in accordance with applicable U.S. federal income tax rules even though such yield may exceed cash payments, if any, received on such debt instrument.
In addition, in the event that any debt instruments or debt securities acquired by us are delinquent as to mandatory principal and interest payments, or in the event payments with respect to a particular debt instrument are not made when due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income. Similarly, we may be required to accrue interest income with respect to subordinated mortgage-backed securities at the stated rate regardless of whether corresponding cash payments are received.
Finally, we may be required under the terms of indebtedness that we incur to use cash received from interest payments to make principal payments on that indebtedness, with the effect of recognizing income but not having a corresponding amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
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As a result of each of these potential timing differences between income recognition or expense deduction and cash receipts or disbursements, there is a risk that we may have taxable income in excess of cash available for distribution. In that event, we may need to borrow funds or take other action to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements for the taxable year in which this “phantom income” is recognized. See “—Annual Distribution Requirements Applicable to REITs.”
Asset Tests
At the close of each quarter of our taxable year, we must satisfy the following tests relating to the nature of our assets.
• | At least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by the following: |
• | interests in real property, including leaseholds and options to acquire real property and leaseholds; |
• | interests in mortgages on real property; |
• | interests in personal property that generates rents from real property; |
• | stock in other REITs and debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs; |
• | cash and cash items (including certain receivables); |
• | government securities; |
• | investments in stock or debt instruments attributable to the temporary investment of new capital during theone-year period following our receipt of new capital that we raise through equity offerings (but not our distribution reinvestment plan) or public offerings of debt obligations with at least a five-year term; and |
• | regular or residual interests in a REMIC. However, if less than 95% of the assets of a REMIC consists of assets that are qualifying real estate-related assets under U.S. federal income tax laws, determined as if we held such assets directly, we will be treated as holding directly our proportionate share of the assets of such REMIC. |
• | Not more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by securities, other than those in the 75% asset class described above. |
• | Except for securities in taxable REIT subsidiaries and the securities in the 75% asset class described above, the value of any one issuer’s securities owned by us may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets. |
• | Except for securities in taxable REIT subsidiaries and the securities in the 75% asset class described above, we may not own more than 10% of any one issuer’s outstanding voting securities. |
• | Except for securities of taxable REIT subsidiaries and the securities in the 75% asset class described above, we may not own more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer, other than securities that qualify for the “straight debt” exception or other exceptions discussed below. |
• | Not more than 20% of the value of our total assets (for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2017) may be represented by the securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. |
• | Not more than 25% of the value of our total assets may be represented by “nonqualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments.” |
A debt obligation secured by a mortgage on both real and personal property is treated as a real estate asset for purposes of the 75% asset test, and interest thereon is treated as interest on an obligation secured by real property, if the fair market value of the personal property does not exceed 15% of the fair market value of all
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property securing the debt even if the loan is not fully secured by real property. If the fair market value of personal property securing the debt exceeds 15% of the fair market value of all property securing the debt and the fair market value of the real property does not equal or exceed the “loan amount” at the time the REIT commits to make or acquire the loan, then a portion of such loan will not be a qualifying real estate asset.
Notwithstanding the general rule, as noted above, that for purposes of the REIT gross income and asset tests we are treated as owning our proportionate share of the underlying assets of a subsidiary partnership, if we hold indebtedness issued by a partnership, the indebtedness will be subject to, and may cause a violation of, the asset tests unless the indebtedness is a qualifying mortgage asset or other conditions are met. Similarly, although stock of another REIT is a qualifying asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests, anynon-mortgage debt that is issued by another REIT may not so qualify (although such debt will not be treated as “securities” for purposes of the 10% value test, as explained below) unless such REIT is a publicly offered REIT, that is a REIT that is required to file annual and periodic reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Securities, for purposes of the asset tests, may include debt we hold from other issuers. However, debt we hold in an issuer that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% asset test will not be taken into account for purposes of the 10% value test if the debt securities meet the straight debt safe harbor. Subject to certain exceptions, debt will meet the straight debt safe harbor if the debt is a written unconditional promise to pay on demand or on a specified date a sum certain in money, the debt is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into stock, and the interest rate and the interest payment dates of the debt are not contingent on the profits of any person, the borrower’s discretion or similar factors. In the case of an issuer that is a corporation or a partnership, securities that otherwise would be considered straight debt will not be so considered if we, and any of our “controlled taxable REIT subsidiaries” as defined in the Code, hold any securities of the corporate or partnership issuer that (a) are not straight debt or other excluded securities (prior to the application of this rule), and (b) have an aggregate value greater than 1% of the issuer’s outstanding securities (including, in the case of a partnership issuer, our interest as a partner in the partnership).
In addition to straight debt, the Code provides that certain other securities will not violate the 10% asset test. Such securities include (i) any loan made to an individual or an estate, (ii) certain rental agreements pursuant to which one or more payments are to be made in subsequent years (other than agreements between a REIT and certain persons related to the REIT under attribution rules), (iii) any obligation to pay rents from real property, (iv) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of (or payments made by) anon-governmental entity, (v) any security (including debt securities) issued by another REIT and (vi) any debt instrument issued by a partnership if the partnership’s income is of such a nature that the partnership would satisfy the 75% gross income test described above under “—Gross Income Tests.” In applying the 10% asset test, a debt security issued by a partnership (other than straight debt or any other excluded security) is not taken into account to the extent, if any, of the REIT’s proportionate interest as a partner in that partnership.
Any stock that we hold or acquire in other REITs will be a qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test. However, if a REIT in which we own stock fails to qualify as a REIT in any year, the stock in such REIT will not be a qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test. Instead, we would be subject to the second, third, fourth, and fifth asset tests described above with respect to our investment in such a disqualified REIT. We will also be subject to those assets tests with respect to our investments in anynon-REIT C corporations for which we do not make a taxable REIT subsidiary election.
We will monitor the status of our assets for purposes of the various asset tests and will seek to manage our portfolio to comply at all times with such tests. There can be no assurances, however, that we will be successful in this effort. Independent appraisals may not have been obtained to support our conclusions as to the value of our total assets or the value of any particular security or securities. Moreover, the values of some assets may not be susceptible to a precise determination, and values are subject to change in the future. Furthermore, the proper classification of an instrument as debt or equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be uncertain in some circumstances, which could affect the application of the REIT asset requirements. Accordingly, there can be no
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assurance that the IRS will not contend that our interests in our subsidiaries or in the securities of other issuers will not cause a violation of the REIT asset tests.
However, certain relief provisions are available to allow REITs to satisfy the asset requirements or to maintain REIT qualification notwithstanding certain violations of the asset and other requirements. For example, if we failed to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, such a failure would not cause us to lose our REIT qualification if (i) we satisfied the asset tests at the close of the preceding calendar quarter and (ii) the discrepancy between the value of our assets and the asset requirements was not wholly or partly caused by an acquisition of nonqualifying assets, but instead arose from changes in the relative market values of our assets. If the condition described in (ii) were not satisfied, we could nevertheless avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which it arose or by making use of the relief provisions described above.
In the case of de minimis violations of the 10% and 5% asset tests, a REIT may maintain its qualification despite a violation of such requirements if (i) the value of the assets causing the violation does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the REIT’s total assets and $10,000,000 and (ii) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or the relevant tests are otherwise satisfied within that time frame.
Even if we did not qualify for the foregoing relief provisions, one additional provision allows a REIT which fails one or more of the asset requirements for a particular quarter to nevertheless maintain its REIT qualification if (i) the REIT provides the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (ii) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (iii) the REIT pays a tax equal to the greater of (a) $50,000 per failure and (b) the product of the net income generated by the assets that caused the failure multiplied by the highest applicable corporate tax rate (currently 21% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017) and (iv) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or otherwise satisfies the relevant asset tests within that time frame.
Annual Distribution Requirements Applicable to REITs
To qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally must distribute dividends (other than capital gain dividends) to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to:
• | the sum of (i) 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and our net capital gain and (ii) 90% of our net income after tax, if any, from foreclosure property; minus |
• | the excess of the sum of specified items ofnon-cash income (including original issue discount on our mortgage loans) over 5% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and our net capital gain. |
Distributions generally must be made during the taxable year to which they relate. Distributions may be made in the following year in two circumstances. First, if we declare a dividend in October, November or December of any year with a record date in one of these months and pay the dividend on or before January 31 of the following year, such dividend will be treated as having been paid and received by our shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared. Second, distributions may be made in the following year if the dividends are declared before we timely file our tax return for the year and if made before the first regular dividend payment made after such declaration. These distributions are taxable to our stockholders in the year in which paid, even though the distributions relate to our prior taxable year for purposes of the 90% distribution requirement. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or we distribute at least 90%, but less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, as adjusted, we will be subject to tax on the undistributed amount at regular corporate tax rates.
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To the extent that in the future we may have available net operating losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may reduce the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements. Such losses, however, will generally not affect the tax treatment to our stockholders of any distributions that are actually made.
If we fail to distribute during a calendar year (or, in the case of distributions with declaration and record dates falling in the last three months of the calendar year, by the end of January following such calendar year) at least the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income for such year and (iii) any undistributed taxable income from prior years, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (x) the amounts actually distributed (taking into account excess distributions from prior years) and (y) the amounts of income retained on which we have paid corporate income tax.
Although several types ofnon-cash income are excluded in determining the annual distribution requirement, we will incur corporate income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax with respect to thosenon-cash income items if we do not distribute those items on a current basis. As a result of the foregoing, we may not have sufficient cash to distribute all of our taxable income and thereby avoid corporate income tax and the excise tax imposed on certain undistributed income. In such a situation, we may need to borrow funds or issue additional stock.
We may elect to retain rather than distribute all or a portion of our net capital gains and pay the tax on the gains. In that case, we may elect to have our stockholders include their proportionate share of the undistributed net capital gains in income as long-term capital gains and receive a credit for their share of the tax paid by us. Our stockholders would then increase the adjusted basis of their stock by the difference between (i) the amounts of capital gain dividends that we designated and that they include in their taxable income, minus (ii) the tax that we paid on their behalf with respect to that income. For purposes of the 4% excise tax described above, any retained amounts for which we elect this treatment would be treated as having been distributed.
We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy the distribution requirement. However, it is possible that, from time to time, we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet the distribution requirement due to timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of deductible expenses and, for example, the inclusion of items of income and deduction of expenses by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, we may decide to retain our cash, rather than distribute it, in order to repay debt, acquire assets or for other reasons. In the event that such timing differences occur, and in other circumstances, it may be necessary in order to satisfy the distribution requirements to arrange for short-term, or possibly long-term, borrowings, or to pay the dividends in the form of other property (including, for example, shares of our own stock). Under IRS Revenue Procedure2017-45, as a publicly offered REIT, we may give stockholders a choice, subject to various limits and requirements, of receiving a dividend in cash or in our common stock. As long as at least 20% of the total dividend is available in cash and certain other requirements are satisfied, the IRS will treat the stock distribution as a dividend (to the extent applicable rules treat such distribution as being made out of our earnings and profits).
If our taxable income for a particular year is subsequently determined to have been understated, under some circumstances we may be able to rectify a failure to meet the distribution requirement for a year by paying deficiency dividends to stockholders in a later year, which may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Thus, we may be able to avoid being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends. However, we will be required to pay interest based upon the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act contains provisions that may change the way we calculate our REIT taxable income and that our subsidiaries calculate their taxable income in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we will have to accrue certain items of income before they would otherwise be taken into income under the Code if they are taken into account in our applicable financial statements. We have
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not yet identified any material impact of this provision. Additionally, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits business interest deductions for businesses, whether in corporate or pass-through form, to the sum of the entity’s business interest income for the tax year and 30% of the entity’s adjusted taxable income for the tax year. Proposed Treasury Regulations would define interest expansively to cover various amounts not otherwise treated as interest. This limitation could apply to the Operating Partnership and any underlying subsidiaries. This limitation does not apply to an “electing real property trade or business.” We have not yet determined whether we or any of our subsidiaries will elect out of the new interest expense limitation or whether each of our subsidiaries is eligible to elect out. One consequence of electing to be an “electing real property trade or business” is that the new expensing rules will not apply to property used in an electing real property trade or business. In addition, in the case of an electing real property trade or business, real property and “qualified improvement property” are depreciated under the alternative depreciation system. Finally, there are new limitations on the use of net operating losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
Like-Kind Exchanges
We may dispose of properties in transactions intended to qualify as like-kind exchanges under the Code. Such like-kind exchanges are intended to result in the deferral of gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The failure of any such transaction to qualify as a like-kind exchange could require us to pay U.S. federal income tax, possibly including the 100% prohibited transaction tax, depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction.
Penalty Tax for Non-Arm’s Length Transactions with TRSs
Any redetermined rents, redetermined deductions, excess interest or redetermined TRS service income we generate will be subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, redetermined rents are rents from real property that are overstated as a result of any services furnished to any of our tenants by a taxable REIT subsidiary, and redetermined deductions and excess interest represent any amounts that are deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary for amounts paid to us that are in excess of the amounts that would have been deducted based on arm’s length negotiations. Rents that we receive will not constitute redetermined rents if they qualify for certain safe harbor provisions contained in the Code. Redetermined TRS service income is income earned by a taxable REIT subsidiary that is attributable to services provided to us, or on our behalf to any of our tenants, that is less than the amounts that would have been charged based upon arms’ length negotiations.
Recordkeeping Requirements
We are required to comply with applicable recordkeeping requirements. Failure to comply could result in monetary fines. For example, we must request on an annual basis information from our stockholders designed to disclose the actual ownership of our outstanding common stock.
Failure to Qualify
If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements of REIT qualification, other than the gross income tests or asset tests, we then we may still retain REIT qualification if the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and we pay a penalty of $50,000 for each failure.
If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year and the relief provisions do not apply, we will be subject to tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates. This would significantly reduce both our cash available for distribution to our stockholders and our earnings. If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we will not be required to make any distributions to stockholders, and any distributions that are made will not be deductible by us. Moreover, all distributions to stockholders would be taxable as dividends to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, whether or not attributable to capital gains of ours. Furthermore,
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subject to certain limitations in the Code, corporate distributees may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction with respect to those distributions, and individual, trust and estate distributees may be eligible for reduced U.S. federal income tax rates on such dividend as “qualified dividend income.” Unless we are entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we also will be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.
Tax Aspects of Our Operating Partnership and any Subsidiary Partnerships
General.All or substantially all of our assets will be held through our Operating Partnership. In addition, our Operating Partnership may hold certain investments indirectly through subsidiary partnerships and limited liability companies which are treated as partnerships or disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, entities that are treated as partnerships or disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes are “pass-through” entities which are not required to pay U.S. federal income tax. Rather, partners or members of such entities are allocated their shares of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the partnershipor limited liability company and are potentially required to pay tax on this income, without regard to whether they receive a distribution from the partnership or limited liability company.
Entity Classification.Our interests in the Operating Partnership and the subsidiary partnerships and limited liability companies involve special tax considerations, including the possibility that the IRS might challenge the status of these entities as partnerships (or disregarded entities), as opposed to associations taxable as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For example, an entity that would otherwise be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes may nonetheless be taxable as a corporation if it is a “publicly traded partnership” and certain other requirements are met. A partnership or limited liability company would be treated as a publicly traded partnership if its interests are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or a substantial equivalent thereof, within the meaning of applicable Treasury regulations. If our Operating Partnership or a subsidiary partnership or limited liability company were treated as an association rather than as a partnership, it would be taxable as a corporation and would be required to pay a corporate income tax on its income. In this situation, the character of our assets and items of gross income wouldchange and could prevent us from qualifying as a REIT. See “—Failure to Qualify” for a discussion of the effects of our failure to meet the REIT asset and gross income tests. In addition, a change in the tax status of our Operating Partnership, a subsidiary partnership or limited liability company might be treated as a taxable event. If so, we might incur a tax liability without any related cash distributions. We do not anticipate that our Operating Partnership or any subsidiary partnership or limited liability company will be treated as a publicly traded partnership which is taxable as a corporation.
Under new rules for U.S. federal income tax audits of partnerships with respect to tax returns for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, such audits will continue to be conducted at the entity level, but unless such entity qualifies for and affirmatively elects an alternative procedure, any adjustments to the amount of tax due (including interest and penalties) will be payable by the entity itself. Under the alternative procedure, if elected, a partnership would issue information returns to persons who were partners in the audited year, who would then be required to take the adjustments into account in calculating their own tax liability, and the partnership would not be liable for the adjustments. If any of the Operating Partnership or our subsidiary partnerships or limited liability companies is able to and in fact elects the alternative procedure for a given adjustment, the amount of taxes for which such persons will be liable will be increased by any applicable penalties and a special interest charge. There can be no assurance that any such entities will be eligible to make such an election or that it will, in fact, make such an election for any given adjustment. Many issues and the overall effect of this new legislation on us are uncertain.
Allocations of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction. A partnership agreement (or, in the case of a limited liability company treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the limited liability company agreement) will generally determine the allocation of partnership income and loss among partners. Generally, Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder require that partnership allocations respect the economic
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arrangement of the partners. If an allocation of partnership income or loss does not comply with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder, the item subject to the allocation may be reallocated in accordance with the partners’ interests in the partnership. This reallocation will be determined by taking into account all of the facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangement of the partners with respect to such item. Our Operating Partnership’s allocations of taxable income and loss are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder.
Tax Allocations with Respect to the Properties.Under Section 704(c) of the Code, income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to appreciated or depreciated property that is contributed to a partnership (including a limited liability company treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in exchange for an interest in the partnership must be allocated in a manner so that the contributing partner is charged with the unrealized gain, or benefits from the unrealized loss, associated with the property at the time of the contribution,as adjusted from time to time. The amount of the unrealized gain or unrealized loss generally is equal to the difference between the fair market value or book value and the adjusted tax basis of the contributed property at the time of contribution (this difference is referred to as abook-tax difference), as adjusted from time to time. These allocations are solely for U.S. federal income tax purposes and do not affect the book capital accounts or other economic or legal arrangements among the partners.
Appreciated property may be contributed to our Operating Partnership in exchange for Operating Partnership units in connection with future acquisitions. The partnership agreement requires that allocations be made in a manner consistent with Section 704(c) of the Code. Treasury regulations issued under Section 704(c) of the Code provide partnerships with a choice of several methods of accounting forbook-tax differences. Anybook-tax differences will be accounted for using any method approved under Section 704(c) of the Code and the applicable Treasury regulations as chosen by the general partner under the partnership agreement. Any property acquired by our Operating Partnership in a taxable transaction will initially have a tax basis equal to its fair market value, and Section 704(c) of the Code will not apply.
Taxation of U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock
U.S. Holder. As used in the remainder of this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
• | a citizen or resident of the United States; |
• | a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia; |
• | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
• | a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
If a partnership (or an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding common stock, you should consult your advisors. A“non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a U.S. holder nor a partnership (or an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes).
Distributions Generally.As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions made by us to our taxable U.S. holders out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits that are not designated as capital gain dividends or“qualified dividend income” will be taken into account by them as ordinary income taxable at ordinary income tax rates and will not qualify for the reduced capital gains rates that currently generally apply to qualified dividend income distributed bynon-REIT C corporations to certainnon-corporate U.S. holders. However, for
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taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026,non-corporate U.S. holders will be entitled to deduct up to 20% of ordinary REIT dividends they receive. In determining the extent to which a distribution constitutes a dividend for tax purposes, our earnings and profits will be allocated first to distributions with respect to our preferred stock, if any, and then to our common stock. Corporate stockholders will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction with respect to these distributions.
Distributions from REITs that are treated as dividends but are not designated as qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends (“qualified REIT dividends”) are treated as ordinary income. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, non-corporate taxpayers are entitled to a deduction of up to 20% of their qualified REIT dividends. The amount of the deduction may be up to 20% of the amount of the non-corporate U.S. Shareholder’s aggregate qualified dividend income, but may be less than 20% of the amount of qualified REIT dividends if the U.S. Shareholder has losses from publicly traded partnerships or the U.S. Shareholder’s taxable income, not taking into account net capital gain, is less than the amount of the U.S. Shareholder’s qualified REIT dividends. In addition, Treasury Regulations under section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), impose a minimum holding period for the 20% deduction that was not set forth in the Code. Under the Treasury Regulations, in order for a REIT dividend with respect to a share of REIT stock to be treated as a qualified REIT dividend, the U.S. Shareholder (i) must have held the share for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend and (ii) cannot have been under an obligation to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, e.g., pursuant to a short sale.
Distributions in excess of both current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a U.S. holder to the extent that the distributions do not exceed the adjusted basis of the U.S. holder’s stock. Rather, such distributions will reduce the U.S. holder’s adjusted basis in the stock. To the extent that distributions exceed the adjusted basis of a U.S. holder’s stock, the U.S. holder generally must include such excess in income as long-term capital gain if the shares have been held for more than one year, or as short-term capital gain if the shares have been held for one year or less.
Distributions will generally be taxable, if at all, in the year of the distribution. However, if we declare a dividend in October, November or December of any year with a record date in one of these months and pay the dividend in January of the following year, we will be treated as having paid the dividend, and U.S. holders will be treated as having received the dividend, on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
We will be treated as having sufficient earnings and profits to treat as a dividend any distribution we pay up to the amount required to be distributed in order to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax discussed above. Moreover, any “deficiency dividend” will be treated as an ordinary or capital gain dividend, as the case may be, regardless of our earnings and profits. As a result, U.S. holders may be required to treat certain distributions that would otherwise result in atax-free return of capital as taxable dividends.
Capital Gain Dividends.We may elect to designate distributions of our net capital gain as “capital gain dividends” to the extent that such distributions do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year. Capital gain dividends are taxed to U.S. holders of our stock as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset held for more than one year. This tax treatment applies regardless of the period during which the stockholders have held their stock. If we designate any portion of a dividend as a capital gain dividend, the amount that will betaxable to the stockholder as capital gain will be indicated to U.S. holders on IRS Form1099-DIV. Corporate stockholders, however, may be required to treat up to 20% of capital gain dividends as ordinary income. Capital gain dividends are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
Instead of paying capital gain dividends, we may elect to require stockholders to include our undistributed net capital gains in their income. If we make such an election, U.S. holders (i) will include in their income as long-term capital gains their proportionate share of such undistributed capital gains and (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate share of the tax paid by us on such undistributed capital gains and thereby receive a
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credit or refund to the extent that the tax paid by us exceeds the U.S. holder’s tax liability on the undistributed capital gain. A U.S. holder of our stock will increase its basis in its stock by the difference between the amount of capital gain included in its income and the amount of tax it is deemed to have paid. A U.S. holder that is a corporation will appropriately adjust its earnings and profits for the retained capital gain in accordance with Treasury regulations to be prescribed by the IRS. Our earnings and profits will be adjusted appropriately.
We must classify portions of our designated capital gain dividend into the following categories:
• | a 20% gain distribution, which would be taxable tonon-corporate U.S. holders of our stock at a federal rate of up to 20%; or |
• | an unrecaptured Section 1250 gain distribution, which would be taxable tonon-corporate U.S. holders of our stock at a maximum rate of 25%. |
We must determine the maximum amounts that we may designate as 20% and 25% capital gain dividends by performing the computation required by the Code as if the REIT were an individual whose ordinary income were subject to a marginal tax rate of at least 28%. The IRS currently requires that distributions made to different classes of stock be comprised proportionately of dividends of a particular type.
Qualified Dividend Income.Distributions that are treated as dividends may be taxed at capital gains rates, rather than ordinary income rates, if they are distributed to an individual, trust or estate, are properly designated by us as qualified dividend income and certain other requirements are satisfied. Dividends are eligible to be designated by us as qualified dividend income up to an amount equal to the sum of the qualified dividend income received by us during the year of the distribution from other C corporations such as taxable REIT subsidiaries, our “undistributed” REIT taxable income from the immediately preceding year, and any income attributable to the sale of abuilt-in gain asset from the immediately preceding year (reduced by any U.S. federal income taxes that we paid with respect to such REIT taxable income andbuilt-in gain).
Dividends that we receive will be treated as qualified dividend income to us if certain criteria are met. The dividends must be received from a domestic corporation (other than a REIT or a regulated investment company) or a qualifying foreign corporation. A foreign corporation generally will be a qualifying foreign corporation if it is incorporated in a possession of the United States, the corporation is eligible for benefits of an income tax treaty with the United States which the Secretary of Treasury determines is satisfactory, or the stock on which the dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. However, if a foreign corporation is a foreign personal holding company, a foreign investment company or a passive foreign investment company, then it will not be treated as a qualifying foreign corporation, and the dividends we receive from such an entity would not constitute qualified dividend income.
Furthermore, certain exceptions and special rules apply to determine whether dividends may be treated as qualified dividend income to us. These rules include certain holding requirements that we would have to satisfy with respect to the stock on which the dividend is paid and special rules with regard to dividends received from regulated investment companies and other REITs.
In addition, even if we designate certain dividends as qualified dividend income to our stockholders, a U.S. holder will have to meet certain other requirements for the dividend to qualify for taxation at capital gains rates. For example, the U.S. holder will only be eligible to treat the dividend as qualifying dividend income if the U.S. holder is taxed at individual rates and meets certain holding requirements. In general, in order to treat a particular dividend as qualified dividend income, a U.S. holder will be required to hold our stock for more than 60 days during the121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which the stock becomesex-dividend.
Other Tax Considerations.To the extent that we have available net operating losses and capital losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may reduce, subject to certain limitations, our REIT taxable income
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and, accordingly, the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements. Such losses, however, are not passed through to stockholders and do not offset income of stockholders from other sources, nor would such losses affect the character of any distributions that we make,which are generally subject to tax in the hands of stockholders to the extent that we have current or accumulated earnings and profits.
Sales of Our Common Stock. Upon any taxable sale or other disposition of our common stock (except pursuant to a repurchase by us, as described below), a U.S. holder of our common stock will recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference between:
• | the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received on such disposition; and |
• | the U.S. holder’s adjusted basis in such common stock for tax purposes. |
Gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the common stock has been held by the U.S. holder as a capital asset. The applicable tax rate will depend on the holder’s holding period in the asset (generally, if an asset has been held for more than one year, it will produce long-term capital gain) and the holder’s tax bracket.
In general, any loss upon a sale or exchange of our common stock by a U.S. holder who has held such stock for six months or less (after applying certain holding period rules) will be treated as a long-term capital loss, but only to the extent of distributions from us received by such U.S. holder that are required to be treated by such U.S. holder as long-term capital gains.
Repurchases of Our Common Stock.A repurchase of our common stock will be treated as a distribution in exchange for the repurchased shares and taxed in the same manner as any other taxable sale or other disposition of our common stock discussed above, provided that the repurchase satisfies one of the tests enabling the repurchase to be treated as a sale or exchange. A repurchase will generally be treated as a sale or exchange if it (i) results in a complete termination of the holder’s interest in our common stock, (ii) results in a substantially disproportionate redemption with respect to the holder, or (iii) is not essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to the holder. In determining whether any of these tests has been met, common stock actually owned, as well as common stock considered to be owned by the holder by reason of certain constructive ownership rules set forth in the Code, generally must be taken into account. The sale of common stock pursuant to a repurchase generally will result in a “substantially disproportionate” redemption with respect to a holder if the percentage of our then outstanding voting stock owned by the holder immediately after the sale is less than 80% of the percentage of our voting stock owned by the holder determined immediately before the sale. The sale of common stock pursuant to a repurchase generally will be treated as not “essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to a holder if the reduction in the holder’s proportionate interest in our stock as a result of our repurchase constitutes a “meaningful reduction” of such holder’s interest.
A repurchase that does not qualify as an exchange under such tests will constitute a dividend equivalent repurchase that is treated as a taxable distribution and taxed in the same manner as regular distributions, as described above under “—Distributions Generally.” In addition, although guidance is sparse, the IRS could take the position that a holder who does not participate in any repurchase treated as a dividend should be treated as receiving a constructive distribution of our common stock taxable as a dividend in the amount of their increased percentage ownership of our common stock as a result of the repurchase, even though the holder did not actually receive cash or other property as a result of the repurchase.
Passive Activity Loss, Excess Business Loss and Investment Interest Limitation.Dividends that we distribute and gains arising from the disposition of our common stock by a U.S. holder will not be treated as passive activity income, and, therefore, U.S. holders will not be able to apply any “passive activity losses” against such income. Similarly, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017,non-corporate U.S. holders cannot apply “excessbusiness losses” against dividends that we distribute and gains arising from the disposition of our common stock. Dividends paid by us, to the extent they do not constitute a return of capital, will generally be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment income limitation on the deduction of the investment interest.
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Medicare Tax.Certain U.S. holders, including individuals and estates and trusts, are subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes net gain from a sale orexchange of common stock and dividends. In the case of an individual, the tax will be 3.8% of the lesser of the individual’s net investment income or the excess of the individual’s modified adjusted gross income over an amount equal to (1) $250,000 in the case of a married individual filing a joint return or a surviving spouse, (2) $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, or (3) $200,000 in the case of a single individual. The 20% deduction for qualified REIT dividends is not taken into account in computing net investment income.
Taxation ofNon-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock
The rules governing the U.S. federal income taxation ofnon-U.S. holders are complex. This section is only a summary of such rules.We urgenon-U.S. holders to consult their own tax advisors to determine the impact of federal, state and local income tax laws on ownership of the common stock, including any reporting requirements.
Distributions. Distributions by us to anon-U.S. holder that are neither attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of “United States real property interests” nor designated by us as capital gains dividends will be treated as dividends of ordinary income to the extent that they are made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. These distributions generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on a gross basis at a rate of 30%, or a lower rate as may be specified under an applicable income tax treaty, unless the dividends are treated as effectively connected with the conduct by thenon-U.S. holder of a trade or business within the United States. Under some treaties, however, lower rates generally applicable to dividends do not apply to dividends from REITs or apply to dividends from REITs only in certain circumstances. Dividends that are effectively connected with thenon-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment) will be subject to U.S. federalincome tax on a net basis, that is, after allowance for deductions, at graduated rates, in the same manner as U.S. holders are taxed, and are generally not subject to withholding. Applicable certification and disclosure requirements must be satisfied to be exempt from withholding under the effectively connected income exception. Any dividends received by a corporatenon-U.S. holder that is engaged in a trade or business within the United States may also be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or lower applicable treaty rate.
Anon-U.S. holder who wishes to claim the benefit of an applicable treaty rate and avoid backup withholding, as discussed below, for our ordinary dividends will be required (i) to complete the applicable IRS FormW-8 and certify under penalty of perjury that such holder is not a U.S. person as defined under the Code and is eligible for treaty benefits or (ii) if our common stock is held through certain foreign intermediaries, to satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable Treasury regulations. Special certification and other requirements apply to certainnon-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.
Anon-U.S. holder eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
Distributions in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits that do not exceed the adjusted basis of thenon-U.S. holder in its common stock will reduce thenon-U.S. holder’s adjusted basis in its common stock and will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits that do exceed the adjusted basis of thenon-U.S. holder in its common stock will be treated as gain from the sale of its stock, the tax treatment of which is described below under “—Sales of Our Common Stock.” Because we generally cannot determine at the time we make a distribution whether or not the distribution will exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, we normally will withhold tax on the entire amount of any distribution as if it were a dividend.
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We would be required to withhold at least 15% of any distribution to anon-U.S. holder in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits if our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest with respect to suchnon-U.S. holder, as described below under “—Sales of Our Common Stock.” This withholding would apply even if thenon-U.S. holder is not liable for tax on the receipt of that distribution. However, anon-U.S. holder may file a U.S. federal income tax return to claim a refund of these amounts from the IRS if thenon-U.S. holder’s U.S. tax liability with respect to the distribution is less than the amount withheld.
Distributions to anon-U.S. holder that are designated by us at the time of the distribution as capital gain dividends, other than those arising from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (including direct interests in U.S. real property and stock of U.S. corporations that are “U.S. real property holding corporations” and do not quality for any exemption), generally should not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless:
• | The investment in the common stock is effectively connected with thenon-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment of thenon-U.S. holder), in which case thenon-U.S. holder will generally be subject to the same treatment as U.S. holders with respect to any gain, except that a holder that is a foreign corporation also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax, as discussed above; or |
• | Thenon-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the distribution and has a “tax home” in the United States, in which case the individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s capital gains. |
Under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, or FIRPTA, distributions to anon-U.S. holder that are attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of U.S. real property interests, whether or not designated as capital gain dividends will cause thenon-U.S. holder to be treated as recognizing gain that is income effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business.Non-U.S. holders will be taxed on this gain at the same rates applicable to U.S. holders, subject to a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals. In the case of anon-U.S. holder that is a corporation, this gain may also be subject to a 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) branch profits tax. A distribution is not attributable to a U.S. real property interest if we held an interest in the underlying asset solely as a creditor.
We will be required to withhold and remit to the IRS tax at the highest corporate income tax rate on any distributions tonon-U.S. holders that are designated as capital gain dividend with respect to gains from dispositions of U.S. real property interests, or, if greater, tax at the highest corporate income tax rate on a distribution that could have been designated as a capital gain dividend. The amount withheld, which for individualnon-U.S. holders may exceed the actual tax liability, is creditable against thenon-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
However, FIRPTA withholding tax would not apply to any capital gain dividend with respect to any class of our stock which is “regularly traded” on an established securities market located in the United States if thenon-U.S. holder did not own more than 10% of such class of stock at any time during theone-year period ending on the date of such dividend. Instead, any such capital gain dividend would be treated as a distribution subject to the rules discussed above with respect to ordinary dividends. Also, the branch profits tax would not apply to such a distribution. However, it is not anticipated that our common stock will be “regularly traded” on an established securities market.
Although the law is not clear on the matter, it appears that amounts we designate as undistributed capital gains in respect of the stock held by U.S. holders generally should be treated with respect tonon-U.S. holders in the same manner as actual distributions by us of capital gain dividends. Under that approach, thenon-U.S. holders would be able to offset as a credit against their U.S. federal income tax liability resulting therefrom their proportionate share of the tax paid by us on the undistributed capital gains, and to receive from the IRS a refund to the extent that their proportionate share of this tax paid by us were to exceed their actual U.S. federal income tax liability. If
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we were to designate a portion of our net capital gain as undistributed capital gain, anon-U.S. holder is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the taxation of such undistributed capital gain.
Sales of Our Common Stock. Subject to the discussion below under “—Repurchases of Our Common Stock,” gain recognized by anon-U.S. holder upon the sale or exchange of our stock generally would not be subject to U.S. taxation unless:
• | the investment in our common stock is effectively connected with thenon-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment of thenon-U.S. holder), in which case thenon-U.S. holder will be subject to the same treatment as domestic holders with respect to any gain; |
• | thenon-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a tax home in the United States, in which case the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s net capital gains for the taxable year; or |
• | thenon-U.S. holder is not a “qualified shareholder” or a “qualified foreign pension fund” (each as defined in the Code) and our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest within the meaning of FIRPTA, as described below. |
We anticipate that our common stock will constitute a U.S. real property interest within the meaning of FIRPTA unless we are a domestically controlled REIT. We will be a domestically controlled REIT if, at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of our stock is held directly or indirectly bynon-U.S. holders. No assurance can be given, however, that we are or will be a domestically controlled REIT.
Even if we were not a domestically controlled REIT, a sale of common stock by anon-U.S. holder would nevertheless not be subject to taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a U.S. real property interest if:
• | our common stock were “regularly traded” on an established securities market within the meaning of applicable Treasury regulations; and |
• | thenon-U.S. holder did not actually, or constructively under specified attribution rules under the Code, own more than 10% of our common stock at any time during the specified testing period. |
However, it is not anticipated that our common stock will be “regularly traded” on an established securities market. If gain on the sale or exchange of our common stock were subject to taxation under FIRPTA, thenon-U.S. holder would be subject to regular U.S. income tax with respect to any gain in the same manner as a taxable U.S. holder, subject to a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals. In such a case, under FIRPTA the purchaser of common stock from a non-U.S. holder may be required to withhold 15% of the purchase price and remit this amount to the IRS.
Qualified Shareholders.Subject to the exception discussed below, a “qualified shareholder” who holds our common stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to FIRPTA on distributions by us or dispositions of our common stock. While a qualified shareholder will not be subject to FIRPTA on distributions by us or dispositions of our common stock, a distribution to a qualified shareholder that otherwise would have been taxable under FIRPTA will be treated as an ordinary dividend, and certain investors of a qualified shareholder(i.e., non-U.S. persons who hold interests in the qualified shareholder (other than interests solely as a creditor), and hold more than 10% of our common stock (whether or not by reason of the investor’s ownership in the qualified shareholder)) may be subject to FIRPTA and FIRPTA withholding.
Qualified Foreign Pension Funds. A qualified foreign pension fund (or an entity all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund) that holds our common stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to FIRPTA on distributions by us or dispositions of our common stock.
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We urgenon-U.S. holders to consult their own tax advisors to determine their eligibility for exemption from FIRPTA withholding and their qualification as a qualified shareholder or a qualified foreign pension fund.
Repurchases of Our Common Stock.A repurchase of our common stock that is not treated as a sale or exchange will be taxed in the same manner as distributions under the rules described above. See “—Taxation ofNon-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock—Repurchases of Our Common Stock” for a discussion of when a redemption will be treated as a sale or exchange and related matters.
A repurchase of our common stock generally will be subject to tax under FIRPTA to the extent that our common stock is a U.S. real property interest and the non-U.S. holder recognizes gain or the distribution in the repurchase is attributable to gains from our dispositions of U.S. real property interests. To the extent the distribution is not attributable to gains from our dispositions of U.S. real property interests, the excess of the amount of money received in the repurchase over thenon-U.S. holder’s basis in the repurchased shares will be treated in the manner described above under “—Sales of Our Common Stock.” The IRS has released an official notice stating that repurchase payments may be attributable to gains from dispositions of U.S. real property interests (except when the 10% publicly traded exception would apply), but has not provided any guidance to determine when and what portion of a repurchase payment is a distribution that is attributable to gains from our dispositions of U.S. real property interests. Due to the uncertainty, we may withhold at the top corporate income tax rate from all or a portion of repurchase payments tonon-U.S. holders other than qualified shareholders or qualified foreign pension funds. To the extent the amount of tax we withhold exceeds the amount of anon-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, thenon-U.S. holder may file a U.S. federal income tax return and claim a refund.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Returns.If anon-U.S. holder is subject to taxation under FIRPTA on proceeds from the sale of our common stock or on distributions we make, thenon-U.S. holder will be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return. Prospectivenon-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors to determine the impact of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax laws on their ownership of our common stock, including any reporting requirements.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Withholding at a rate of 30% is required on dividends paid in respect of shares of our common stock to certain foreign financial institutions (including investments funds), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury (unless alternative procedures apply pursuant to an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the relevant foreign government) to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to shares in, and accounts maintained by, the institution to the extent such shares or accounts are held by certain U.S. persons or by certainnon-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons. Accordingly, the entity through which our shares are held may affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends paid in respect of our shares to an investor that is a passivenon-financialnon-U.S. entity will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies to us that such entity does not have any “substantial U.S. owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial U.S. owners,” which we will in turn provide to the Secretary of the Treasury. While withholding under FATCA would also have applied to payments of gross proceeds from the disposition of stock after December 31, 2018, recently proposed Treasury Regulations eliminate FATCA withholding on gross proceeds payments. Taxpayers generally may rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued.Non-U.S. shareholders are encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of these rules on their investment in our common stock.
Taxation ofTax-Exempt Holders of Our Common Stock
Provided that atax-exempt holder has not held its common stock as “debt-financed property” within the meaning of the Code and our shares of stock are not being used in an unrelated trade or business, dividend income from us
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generally will not be unrelated business taxable income, UBTI, to atax-exempt holder. Similarly, income from the sale of our common stock will not constitute UBTI unless thetax-exempt holder has held its common stock as debt-financed property within the meaning of the Code or has used the common stock in an unrelated trade or business.
Further, for atax-exempt holder that is a social club, voluntary employee benefit association, supplemental unemployment benefit trust or qualified group legal services plan exempt from U.S. federal income taxation under Sections 501(c)(7), (c)(9), (c)(17) and (c)(20) of the Code, respectively, or a single parent title-holding corporation exempt under Section 501(c)(2) the income of which is payable to any of the aforementionedtax-exempt organizations, income from an investment in our common stock will constitute UBTI unless the organization properly sets aside or reserves such amounts for purposes specified in the Code. Thesetax-exempt holders should consult their own tax advisors concerning these “set aside” and reserve requirements.
Notwithstanding the above, however, a portion of the dividends paid by a “pension-held REIT” are treated as UBTI as to any trust which is described in Section 401(a) of the Code, istax-exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code, and holds more than 10%, by value, of the interests in the REIT.Tax-exempt pension funds that are described in Section 401(a) of the Code are referred to below as “pension trusts.”
A REIT is a “pension-held REIT” if it meets the following two tests:
• | it would not have qualified as a REIT but for Section 856(h)(3) of the Code, which provides that stock owned by pension trusts will be treated, for purposes of determining whether the REIT is closely held, as owned by the beneficiaries of the trust rather than by the trust itself; and |
• | either (i) at least one pension trust holds more than 25% of the value of the interests in the REIT, or (ii) a group of pension trusts each individually holding more than 10% of the value of the REIT’s stock, collectively owns more than 50% of the value of the REIT’s stock. |
The percentage of any REIT dividend from a “pension-held REIT” that is treated as UBTI is equal to the ratio of the UBTI earned by the REIT, treating the REIT as if it were a pension trust and therefore subject to tax on UBTI, to the total gross income of the REIT. An exception applies where the percentage is less than 5% for any year, in which case none of the dividends would be treated as UBTI. The provisions requiring pension trusts to treat a portion of REIT distributions as UBTI will not apply if the REIT is not a “pension-held REIT” (for example, if the REIT is able to satisfy the “not closely held requirement” without relying on the “look through” exception with respect to pension trusts). Because of our charter’s restrictions on the number of shares of our stock that a person may own, we do not anticipate that we will become a “pension-held REIT.”
Distribution Reinvestment Plan
Holders who participate in the distribution reinvestment plan will recognize taxable income in the amount they would have received had they elected not to participate, even though they receive no cash. These deemed distributions will be treated as actual distributions from us to the participating holders and will retain the character and U.S. federal income tax effects applicable to all distributions. Stock received under the plan will have a holding period beginning with the day after purchase, and a U.S. federal income tax basis equal to its cost, which is the gross amount of the deemed distribution.
Backup Withholding Tax and Information Reporting
U.S. Holders of Common Stock.In general, information-reporting requirements will apply to payments of dividends and proceeds of the sale of our common stock held by U.S. holders, unless such U.S. holder is an exempt recipient. A backup withholding tax may apply to such payments if such U.S. holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number or certification of other exempt status or fails to report in full dividend or interest income. In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of capital gain distributions to any U.S. holders
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who fail to certify their U.S. status to us. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Brokers that are required to report the gross proceeds from a sale of our common stock on IRS Form1099-B will also be required to report the customer’s adjusted basis in the common stock sold and whether any gain or loss with respect to such stock is long-term or short-term. In some cases, there may be alternative methods of determining the basis in the common stock sold, in which case your broker will apply a default method of its choosing if you do not indicate which method you choose to have applied. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding these reporting requirements and their election options.
Non-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock.We must report annually to the IRS and to eachnon-U.S. holder the amount of dividends paid to such holder and the tax withheld with respect to such dividends, regardless ofwhether withholding was required. Copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and withholdingmay also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which thenon-U.S. holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.
Anon-U.S. holder will be subject to backup withholding for dividends paid to such holder unless such holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is anon-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a “United States person” as defined under the Code), or such holder otherwise establishes an exemption.
Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale of our common stock within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries, unless the beneficial owner certifies under penalty of perjury that it is anon-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a “United States person” as defined under the Code), or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against anon-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Legislative or Other Actions Affecting REITs
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs may be modified, possibly with retroactive effect, by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time. The REIT rules are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the Treasury, which may result in statutory changes as well as revisions to regulations and interpretations. Changes to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof could adversely affect an investment in our common stock.
State and Local Taxes
We and our stockholders may be subject to state or local taxation in various state or local jurisdictions, including those in which we or they transact business or reside. Our state and local tax treatment and that of our stockholders may not conform to the U.S. federal income tax treatment discussed above. Consequently, prospective stockholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of state and local tax laws on an investment in our common stock.
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Tax Shelter Reporting
If a stockholder recognizes a loss with respect to stock of $2 million or more for an individual stockholder or $10 million or more for a corporate stockholder, the stockholder must file a disclosure statement with the IRS on Form 8886. Direct stockholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempt from this reporting requirement, but stockholders of a REIT currently are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
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The following is a summary of certain considerations associated with the purchase and holding of any class of our shares of common stock by employee benefit plans that are subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), plans, individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) and other arrangements that are subject to Section 4975 of the Code or provisions under any other federal, state, local,non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, “Similar Laws”) and any entities whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of any such plan, account or arrangement (each, a “Plan” or “Benefit Plan Investor”).
General Fiduciary Matters
ERISA and the Code impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries of a Plan subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (an “ERISA Plan”) and prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of an ERISA Plan and its fiduciaries or other interested parties. Under ERISA and the Code, any person who exercises any discretionary authority or control over the administration of such an ERISA Plan or the management or disposition of the assets of such an ERISA Plan, or who renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation to such an ERISA Plan, is generally considered to be a fiduciary of the ERISA Plan.
In considering an investment in any class of our shares of common stock of a portion of the assets of any Plan, a fiduciary should consider whether an investment in the shares is appropriate for the Plan, taking into account the provisions of the Plan documents, the overall investment policy of the Plan and the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio, as there are imposed on Plan fiduciaries certain fiduciary requirements, including those of investment prudence and diversification and the requirement that a Plan’s investments be made in accordance with the documents governing the Plan. Further, a fiduciary should consider that in the future there may be no market in which such Plan would be able to sell or otherwise dispose of the shares.
Prohibited Transaction Issues
Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit ERISA Plans from engaging in specified transactions involving plan assets with persons or entities who are “parties in interest,” within the meaning of ERISA, or “disqualified persons,” within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code, unless an exemption is available. A party in interest or disqualified person who engaged in anon-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code. In addition, the fiduciary of the ERISA Plan that engaged in such anon-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code. The fiduciary of an ERISA Plan that proposes to purchase or hold any shares should consider, among other things, whether such purchase and holding may involve the sale or exchange of any property between an ERISA Plan and a party in interest or disqualified person, or the transfer to, or use by or for the benefit of, a party in interest or disqualified person, of any ERISA plan assets. Certain exemptions are available from the prohibited transaction rules. However, there can be no assurance that an exemption will apply in any particular situation.
Plan Assets Issues
An additional issue concerns the extent to which we or all or a portion of our assets could themselves be treated as subject to ERISA. ERISA and the United States Department of Labor regulations, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, or the Plan Assets Regulation, concerns the definition of what constitutes the assets of an ERISA Plan for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA and the prohibited transaction provisions of Section 4975 of the Code.
Under ERISA and the Plan Assets Regulation, generally when an ERISA Plan acquires an “equity interest” in an entity that is neither a “publicly offered security” nor a security issued by an investment company registered
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under the Investment Company Act, the ERISA Plan’s assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the underlying assets of the entity, unless it is established either that less than 25% of the total value of each class of equity interest in the entity is held by “benefit plan investors” as defined in Section 3(42) of ERISA, or the 25% Test, or that the entity is an “operating company” as defined in the Plan Assets Regulation. The term “benefit plan investors” is generally defined to include employee benefit plans subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (including “Keogh” plans and IRAs), as well as any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of a plan’s investment in such entity (e.g., an entity of which 25% or more of the value of any class of equity interests is held by benefit plan investors and which does not satisfy another exception under ERISA).
We will not be an investment company under the Investment Company Act and there can be no assurance that benefit plan investors will hold less than 25% of the total value of each class of our common stock at the completion of this offering or thereafter, and no monitoring or other measures will be undertaken with respect to the level of such ownership with respect to any class of our shares of common stock.
Publicly Offered Securities
For purposes of the Plan Assets Regulation, a “publicly offered security” is a security that is (a) “freely transferable,” (b) part of a class of securities that is “widely held,” and (c) (i) sold to the plan as part of an offering of securities to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and is part of a class of securities that is registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the offering of such securities to the public has occurred, or (ii) is part of a class of securities that is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.
Operating Company
Under the Plan Assets Regulation, an entity is an “operating company” if it is primarily engaged, directly or through a majority-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries, in the production or sale of a product or service other than the investment of capital. In addition, the Plan Assets Regulation provides that the term operating company includes an entity qualifying as a real estate operating company (“REOC”). An entity is a REOC if (i) on its “initial valuation date” and on at least one day within each “annual valuation period,” at least 50% of the entity’s assets, valued at cost (other than short-term investments pending long-term commitment or distribution to investors) are invested in real estate that is managed or developed and with respect to which such entity has the right to substantially participate directly in management or development activities; and (ii) such entity in the ordinary course of its business is engaged directly in the management and development of real estate during specified periods. The “initial valuation date” is the date on which an entity first makes an investment that is not a short-term investment of funds pending long-term commitment. An entity’s “annual valuation period” is apre-established period not exceeding 90 days in duration, which begins no later than the anniversary of the entity’s initial valuation date.
It is anticipated that, from and after the date we made our first investment, either (i) our shares of common stock will qualify for the exception for a “publicly offered security” or (ii) the terms and conditions of our investments, and the rights obtained and exercised with respect to such investments, will enable us to qualify as a REOC within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation. However, no assurance can be given that this will be the case.
If our assets are deemed to constitute ERISA “plan assets” (i.e., if we fail to qualify as a REOC as of our initial valuation date, or during any subsequent annual valuation period, and one or more of our classes of common stock fail to qualify as a “publicly offered security”), certain transactions that we might enter into, or may have entered into, in the ordinary course of our business may constitutenon-exempt “prohibited transactions” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, may have to be rescinded and may give rise to prohibited transaction excise taxes and fiduciary liability, as described above. In addition, if our assets are deemed to be “plan assets” of an ERISA Plan, our management, as well as various providers of fiduciary or other services to
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us, and any other parties with authority or control with respect to us or our assets, may be considered fiduciaries under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, or otherwise parties in interest or disqualified persons by virtue of their provision of such services (and there could be an improper delegation of authority to such providers).
In addition, ERISA generally provides that discretionary authority with respect to the management and disposition of the assets of an ERISA Plan may be delegated to certain “investment managers” who acknowledge that they are fiduciaries of the ERISA Plan. In such case, an ERISA Plan fiduciary who has appointed an investment manager will generally not be liable for the acts of such investment manager. We do not expect to be an “investment manager” within the meaning of ERISA. Consequently, if our assets are deemed to constitute “plan assets” of any stockholder which is an ERISA Plan, the fiduciary of any such ERISA Plan would not be protected from liability resulting from our decisions. Moreover, if our underlying assets were deemed to be assets constituting “plan assets,” there are several other provisions of ERISA that could be implicated for an ERISA Plan if it were to acquire or hold shares either directly or by investing in an entity whose underlying assets are deemed to be assets of the ERISA Plan.
Representation
By acceptance of any class of shares of our common stock, each purchaser and subsequent transferee of a share will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (i) no portion of the assets used by such purchaser or transferee to acquire or hold the shares constitutes assets of any Plan or (ii) the purchaser or transferee made its own discretionary decision to invest in our common stock and the holding of the shares by such purchaser or transferee will not constitute a fiduciary breach ornon-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or similar violation under any applicable Similar Laws.
The sale of shares of our common stock to an ERISA Plan is in no respect a representation by us or any other person associated with the offering of our common stock that such an investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by Plans generally or any particular Plan, or that such an investment is appropriate for Plans generally or any particular Plan.
The preceding discussion is only a summary of certain ERISA implications of an investment in the securities and does not purport to be complete. Prospective investors should consult with their own legal, tax, financial and other advisors prior to investing to review these implications in light of such investor’s particular circumstances.
Each purchaser or transferee that is or is acting on behalf of a Plan should consult with its legal advisor concerning the potential consequences to the Plan under ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or applicable Similar Law of an investment in any class of our shares.
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On December 27, 2017, we commenced offering up to $5,000,000,000 in shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus on a “best efforts” basis through Starwood Capital, L.L.C., the Dealer Manager, a registered broker-dealer affiliated with the Advisor. Because this is a “best efforts” offering, the Dealer Manager must only use its best efforts to sell the shares, which means that no underwriter, broker-dealer or other person will be obligated to purchase any shares. Our offering consists of up to $4,000,000,000 in shares in our primary offering and up to $1,000,000,000 in shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. We reserve the right to reallocate shares of common stock between our primary offering and our distribution reinvestment plan.
We are offering to the public four classes of shares of our common stock: Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. We are offering to sell any combination of share classes with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. All investors must meet the suitability standards discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Suitability Standards.” The share classes have different upfront selling commissions and different ongoing stockholder servicing fees.
Class T and Class S shares are available through brokerage and transactional-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through certain registered investment advisers, (4) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (5) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) throughfee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating broker-dealers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers, (6) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Advisor, Starwood Capital or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our board of directors, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers or (7) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. The minimum initial investment for Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares is $5,000. The minimum initial investment in shares of our common stock that we will accept for shares of our Class I common stock is $1,000,000, unless waived by the Dealer Manager. If you are eligible to purchase all four classes of shares, you should consider, among other things, the amount of your investment, the length of time you intend to hold the shares and the upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees attributable to the Class T, Class S or Class D shares. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of common stock you may be eligible to purchase. Neither the Dealer Manager nor its affiliates will directly or indirectly compensate any person engaged as an investment adviser or bank trust department by a potential investor as an inducement for such investment adviser or bank trust department to advise favorably for an investment in us.
An affiliate of Starwood Capital has invested $5 million in Class I shares. Shares purchased by Starwood Capital, its affiliates and our directors and officers will be purchased for investment purposes only and not for resale. Starwood Capital or its affiliate may not submit these Class I shares for repurchase until the third anniversary of their purchase, and any such repurchase request may be accepted only after all requests from unaffiliated stockholders first have been fulfilled. Our registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on December 27, 2017, and our offering under such registration statement will terminate on December 27, 2019, unless extended. The number of shares we have registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is the number that we reasonably expect to be offered and sold within two years from the initial effective date of the registration statement. Under applicable SEC rules, we may extend this offering one additional year if all of the shares we have registered are not yet sold within two years. With the filing of a
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registration statement for a subsequent offering, we may also be able to extend this offering beyond three years until thefollow-on registration statement is declared effective. Pursuant to this prospectus, we are offering to the public all of the shares that we have registered. Although we have registered a fixed dollar amount of our shares, we intend effectively to conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of shares of our common stock over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415. In certain states, the registration of our offering may continue for only one year following the initial clearance by applicable state authorities, after which we will renew the offering period for additionalone-year periods (or longer, if permitted by the laws of each particular state).
We reserve the right to terminate this offering at any time and to extend our offering term to the extent permissible under applicable law.
Purchase Price
Shares will generally be sold at the prior month’s NAV per share of the class of share being purchased, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. Although the price you pay for shares of our common stock will generally be based on the prior month’s NAV per share, the NAV per share of such stock as of the date on which your purchase is settled may be significantly different. We may offer shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share (including by updating a previously disclosed offering price) or suspend our offering or our share repurchase plan in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing fees differ with respect to each class. See “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines” for more information about the calculation of NAV per share.
If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that you purchase in our primary offering will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. The per share purchase price for shares purchased pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the transaction price at the time the distribution is payable, which will generally be equal to our prior month’s NAV per share for that share class.
Underwriting Compensation
We have entered into a Dealer Manager Agreement with the Dealer Manager, pursuant to which the Dealer Manager has agreed to, among other things, manage our relationships with third-party broker-dealers engaged by the Dealer Manager to participate in the distribution of shares of our common stock, which we refer to as “participating broker- dealers,” and financial advisors. The Dealer Manager also coordinates our marketing and distribution efforts with participating broker-dealers and their registered representatives with respect to communications related to the terms of the offering, our investment strategies, material aspects of our operations and subscription procedures. We will not pay referral or similar fees to any accountants, attorneys or other persons in connection with the distribution of our shares.
Summary
The following table shows the upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees payable at the time you subscribe for shares for Class T, Class S, Class D or Class I shares.
Maximum Upfront Selling Commissions as a % of Transaction Price | Maximum Upfront Dealer Manager Fees as a % of Transaction Price | |||||
Class T shares(1) | up to 3.0 | % | 0.5% | |||
Class S shares | up to 3.5 | % | None | |||
Class D shares | None | None | ||||
Class I shares | None | None |
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(1) | For Class T shares sold in the primary offering, investors generally will pay upfront selling commissions of up to 3.0% of the transaction price and upfront dealer manager fees of 0.5% of the transaction price, provided however that such amounts may vary pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold. |
The following table shows the stockholder servicing fees we will pay the Dealer Manager with respect to outstanding Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares on an annualized basis as a percentage of our NAV for such class. The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears.
Stockholder Servicing Fee as a % of NAV | ||
Class T shares | 0.85%(1) | |
Class S shares | 0.85% | |
Class D shares | 0.25% | |
Class I shares | None |
(1) | Consists of an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum of the aggregate NAV of outstanding Class T shares; however, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares. |
Upfront Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees
Class T and Class S Shares.Subject to any discounts described below, the Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.0%, and dealer manager fees of 0.5%, of the transaction price per Class T share sold in the primary offering; such amounts may vary, however, pursuant to agreements with certain participating broker-dealers provided that the sum of upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees shall not exceed 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class T share sold. Subject to any discounts described below, the Dealer Manager will be entitled to receive upfront selling commissions of up to 3.5% of the transaction price of each Class S share sold in the primary offering. The Dealer Manager anticipates that all or a portion of the upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating broker-dealers.
Investors who purchase $150,000 or more in Class T or Class S shares from the same broker-dealer, whether in a single purchase or as the result of multiple purchases, may be eligible, depending on the policies of their participating broker-dealer, for volume discounts on the upfront selling commissions. The Dealer Manager and any participating broker-dealers that offer volume discounts to their clients and their registered representatives will be responsible for implementing the volume discounts. The net offering proceeds we receive will not be affected by any reduction of upfront selling commissions. Certain participating broker-dealers may elect not to offer volume discounts to their clients.
The following table illustrates the various discount levels that may be offered for Class T and Class S shares purchased in the primary offering:
Your Investment | Upfront Dealer Manager Fees and Selling Commissions as a % of Transaction Price of Class S Share | Upfront Dealer Manager Fees and Selling Commissions as a % of Transaction Price of Class T Share | ||||||
Up to $149,999.99 | 3.50 | % | 3.00 | % | ||||
$150,000 to $499,999.99 | 3.00 | % | 2.50 | % | ||||
$500,000 to $999,999.99 | 2.50 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||
$1,000,000 and up | 2.00 | % | 1.50 | % |
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If you qualify for a volume discount as the result of multiple purchases of our Class T or Class S shares, you will receive the benefit of the applicable volume discount for the individual purchase which qualified you for the volume discount, but you will not be entitled to the benefit for prior purchases. Additionally, once you qualify for a volume discount, you will receive the benefit for subsequent purchases through the same participating broker-dealer. For this purpose, if you purchase Class T or Class S shares issued and sold in this offering you will receive the benefit of such Class T or Class S share purchases in connection with qualifying for volume discounts in our subsequent offerings through the same participating broker-dealer.
For purposes of qualifying for a volume discount as the result of multiple purchases of shares, only an individual or entity with the same social security number or taxpayer identification number, as applicable may combine their purchases as a “single purchaser;” provided that, certain participating broker-dealers may also combine purchases by an individual investor and his or her spouse living in the same household as a “single purchaser” for purposes of determining the applicable volume discount.
Requests to combine purchase orders of Class T or Class S shares as a part of a combined order for the purpose of qualifying for discounts or fee waivers must be made in writing by the applicable participating broker-dealer, and any resulting reduction in upfront selling commissions will be prorated among the separate subscribers. As with discounts provided to other purchasers, the net proceeds we receive from the sale of shares will not be affected by discounts provided as a result of a combined order.
Your ability to receive a discount or fee waiver based on combining orders or otherwise may depend on the financial advisor or participating broker-dealer through which you purchase your Class T or Class S shares, and certain broker-dealers may sell shares with reduced upfront commissions. An investor qualifying for a discount will receive a higher percentage return on his or her investment than investors who do not qualify for such discount. Accordingly, you should consult with your financial advisor about the ability to receive such discounts or fee waivers before purchasing Class T or Class S shares.
Class D and Class I Shares. No upfront selling commissions or dealer manager fees will be paid with respect to Class D and Class I shares sold in this offering.
Stockholder Servicing Fees—Class T, Class S and Class D Shares
Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation and certain other limitations described below, we will pay the Dealer Manager selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing fee (i) with respect to our outstanding Class T shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class T shares, consisting of an advisor stockholder servicing fee of 0.65% per annum, and a dealer stockholder servicing fee of 0.20% per annum, of the aggregate NAV for the Class T shares; however, with respect to Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, the advisor stockholder servicing fee and the dealer stockholder servicing fee may be other amounts, provided that the sum of such fees will always equal 0.85% per annum of the NAV of such shares, (ii) with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares and (iii) with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class D shares. We will not pay a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class I shares.
The stockholder servicing fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fees to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. Because the stockholder servicing fees with respect to Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares are calculated based on the aggregate NAV for all of the outstanding shares of each such class, it reduces the NAV with respect to all shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.
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We will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee with respect to any Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares held in a stockholder’s account at the end of the month in which the Dealer Manager in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to such shares would exceed 8.75% (or, in the case of Class T shares sold through certain participating broker-dealers, a lower limit as set forth in any applicable agreement between the Dealer Manager and a participating broker-dealer at the time such Class T shares were issued) of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (including the gross proceeds of any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto). At the end of such month, such Class T shares, Class S shares or Class D shares (and any shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan with respect thereto) will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such share. Although we cannot predict the length of time over which the stockholder servicing fee will be paid due to potential changes in the NAV of our shares, this fee would be paid with respect to a Class T share (in the case of a limit of 8.75% of the gross proceeds) or Class S share over approximately 6.5 years from the date of purchase and with respect to a Class D share over approximately 35 years from the date of purchase, assuming payment of the full upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, opting out of the distribution reinvestment plan and a constant NAV of $20.00 per share. Under these assumptions, if a stockholder holds his or her shares for these time periods, this fee with respect to a Class T share or Class S share would total approximately $1.11 and with respect to a Class D share would total approximately $1.75.
Eligibility to receive the stockholder servicing fee is conditioned on a broker-dealer providing the following ongoing services with respect to the Class T, Class S or Class D shares: assistance with recordkeeping, answering investor inquiries regarding us, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with share repurchase requests. For Class T shares, advisor stockholder services are answering investor inquiries regarding us, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with share repurchase requests and dealer stockholder services are assistance with recordkeeping. If the applicable broker-dealer is not eligible to receive the stockholder servicing fee due to failure to provide these services, the Dealer Manager will waive the stockholder servicing fee that broker-dealer would have otherwise been eligible to receive. The stockholder servicing fees are ongoing fees that are not paid at the time of purchase.
Other Compensation
We or the Advisor may also pay directly, or reimburse the Dealer Manager if the Dealer Manager pays on our behalf, any organization and offering expenses (other than upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing fees).
Limitations on Underwriting Compensation
In addition to the conversion feature described above in “—Stockholder Servicing Fees—Class T, Class S and Class D Shares,” we will cease paying the stockholder servicing fee on the Class T shares, Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, in each case in a transaction in which our stockholders receive cash or securities listed on a national securities exchange or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including upfront selling commissions, the stockholder servicing fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. The Dealer Manager will monitor the aggregate amount of underwriting compensation that we and the Advisor pay in connection with this offering in order to ensure we comply with the underwriting compensation limits of applicable FINRA rules. FINRA rules and the NASAA REIT Guidelines also limit our total organization and offering expenses (including upfront selling commissions, bona fide due diligence expenses and other underwriting compensation) to 15% of our gross offering proceeds from this offering. After the termination of the primary offering and again after termination of the offering under our
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distribution reinvestment plan, the Advisor has agreed to reimburse us to the extent that organization and offering expenses that we incur exceed 15% of our gross proceeds from the applicable offering.
In order to show the maximum amount of compensation that may be paid in connection with this offering, the following table assumes that (1) we sell all of the shares offered by this prospectus, (2) all shares sold in the offering are Class S shares, (3) no shares are reallocated between the primary offering and the distribution reinvestment plan, (4) all Class S shares are sold with the highest possible upfront selling commissions and (5) NAV per share remains $20.00. The table does not give effect to any shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The following table also assumes that we will cease paying stockholder servicing fees with respect to any Class S stockholder after the time the total upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing fees paid with respect to the shares in such Class S stockholder’s account reach 8.75% of the gross proceeds from the offering of such Class S shares in the aggregate.
Maximum Estimated Underwriting Fees and Expenses
At Maximum Primary Offering of $4,000,000,000
Upfront selling commissions | $ | 135,265,700 | 3.38 | % | ||||
Stockholder servicing fees(1) | 214,734,300 | 5.37 | % | |||||
Reimbursement of wholesaling activities(2) | 47,355,210 | 1.19 | % | |||||
Legal fees allocable to the Dealer Manager | 2,644,790 | 0.06 | % | |||||
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Total(2) | $ | 400,000,000 | 10 | % | ||||
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(1) | We will pay the Dealer Manager a stockholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares. The numbers presented reflect that stockholder servicing fees are paid over a number of years, and as a result, will cumulatively increase above 0.85% over time. The Dealer Manager will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing fee to participating broker-dealers and servicing broker-dealers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such broker-dealers, and will waive stockholder servicing fees to the extent a broker-dealer is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. |
(2) | Wholesale reimbursements consist primarily of (a) actual costs incurred for fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating broker-dealers, (b) amounts used to reimburse participating broker-dealers for the actual costs incurred by registered representatives for travel, meals and lodging in connection with attendingbona fide training and education meetings, (c) commissions andnon-transaction based compensation paid to registered persons associated with the Dealer Manager in connection with the wholesaling of our offering, and (d) expense reimbursements for actual costs incurred by employees of the Dealer Manager in the performance of wholesaling activities. The Advisor will reimburse the Dealer Manager for the expenses set forth in (c) and (d) above without reimbursement from us, and we will reimburse the Dealer Manager or its affiliates for the other expenses set forth above, in each case, to the extent permissible under applicable FINRA rules. |
Term of the Dealer Manager Agreement
Either party may terminate the Dealer Manager Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party or immediately upon notice to the other party in the event such other party failed to comply with a material provision of the Dealer Manager Agreement. Our obligations under the Dealer Manager Agreement to pay the stockholder servicing fees with respect to the Class T, Class S and Class D shares distributed in this offering as described therein shall survive termination of the agreement until such shares are no longer outstanding (including such shares that have been converted into Class I shares, as described above in “—Stockholder Servicing Fees—Class T, Class S and Class D Shares”).
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Indemnification
To the extent permitted by law and our charter, we will indemnify the participating broker-dealers and the Dealer Manager against some civil liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act, and liabilities arising from an untrue statement of material fact contained in, or omission to state a material fact in, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, blue sky applications or approved sales literature.
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You may buy or request that we repurchase shares of our common stock through your financial advisor, a participating broker-dealer or other financial intermediary that has a selling agreement with the Dealer Manager. Because an investment in our common stock involves many considerations, your financial advisor or other financial intermediary may help you with this decision. Due to the illiquid nature of investments in real estate, our shares of common stock are only suitable as a long-term investment. Because there is no public market for our shares, stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares if we choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares that have been requested to be repurchased in any particular month, in our discretion, or if our board of directors modifies, suspends or terminates the share repurchase plan.
Investors who meet the suitability standards described herein may purchase shares of our common stock. See “Suitability Standards” in this prospectus. Investors seeking to purchase shares of our common stock must proceed as follows:
• | Read this entire prospectus and any appendices and supplements accompanying this prospectus. |
• | Complete the execution copy of the subscription agreement. A specimen copy of the subscription agreement, including instructions for completing it, is included in this prospectus as Appendix C. Subscription agreements may be executed manually or by electronic signature except where the use of such electronic signature has not been approved. Should you execute the subscription agreement electronically, your electronic signature, whether digital or encrypted, included in the subscription agreement is intended to authenticate the subscription agreement and to have the same force and effect as a manual signature. Electronic signature means any electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed and adopted by you with your intent to sign such record. |
• | Deliver a check, submit a wire transfer, instruct your broker to make payment from your brokerage account or otherwise deliver funds for the full purchase price of the shares of our common stock being subscribed for along with the completed subscription agreement to the participating broker-dealer. Checks should be made payable, or wire transfers directed, to “Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.” or “Starwood REIT.” For Class T, Class S and Class D shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $5,000, additional purchases must be in increments of $500. For Class I shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $1,000,000, additional purchases must be in increments of $500, unless such minimums are waived by the Dealer Manager. The minimum subsequent investment does not apply to purchases made under our distribution reinvestment plan. |
• | By executing the subscription agreement and paying the total purchase price for the shares of our common stock subscribed for, each investor attests that he or she meets the suitability standards as stated in the subscription agreement and agrees to be bound by all of its terms. Certain participating broker-dealers may require additional documentation. |
A sale of the shares to a subscriber may not be completed until at least five business days after the subscriber receives our final prospectus. Subscriptions to purchase our common stock may be made on an ongoing basis, but investors may only purchase our common stock pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first calendar day of each month (based on the prior month’s transaction price), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price of our common stock being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived by the Dealer Manager or otherwise agreed to between the Dealer Manager and the applicable participating broker-dealer).
For example, if you wish to subscribe for shares of our common stock in October, your subscription request must be received in good order at least five business days before November 1. Generally, the offering price will equal
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the NAV per share of the applicable class as of the last calendar day of September, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. If accepted, your subscription will be effective on the first calendar day of November.
Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us before the later of (i) two business days before the first calendar day of each month and (ii) three business days after we make the transaction price (including any subsequent revised transaction price in the circumstances described below) publicly available by posting it on our website atwww.starwoodNAV.reit and filing a prospectus supplement with the SEC (or in certain cases after we have delivered notice of such price directly to subscribers as discussed below). Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. As a result, you will have a minimum of three business days after the transaction price for that month has been disclosed to withdraw your request before you are committed to purchase the shares. Generally, you will not be provided with direct notice of the transaction price when it becomes available. Therefore, if you wish to know the transaction price prior to your subscription being accepted you must check our website or our filings with the SEC prior to the time your subscription is accepted.
However, if the transaction price is not made available on or before the eighth business day before the first calendar day of the month (which is six business days before the earliest date we may accept subscriptions), or a previously disclosed transaction price for that month is changed, then we will provide notice of such transaction price (and the first day on which we may accept subscriptions) directly to subscribing investors when such transaction price is made available. In such cases, you will have at least three business days from delivery of such notice before your subscription is accepted.
If for any reason we reject the subscription, or if the subscription request is canceled before it is accepted or withdrawn as described below, we will return the subscription agreement and the related funds, without interest or deduction, within ten business days after such rejection, cancellation or withdrawal.
Shares of our common stock purchased by a fiduciary or custodial account will be registered in the name of the fiduciary account and not in the name of the beneficiary. If you place an order to buy shares and your payment is not received and collected, your purchase may be canceled and you could be liable for any losses or fees we have incurred.
You have the option of placing a transfer on death (TOD), designation on your shares purchased in this offering. A TOD designation transfers the ownership of the shares to your designated beneficiary upon your death. This designation may only be made by individuals, not entities, who are the sole or joint owners with right to survivorship of the shares. If you would like to place a TOD designation on your shares, you must check the TOD box on the subscription agreement and you must complete and return a TOD form, which you may obtain from your financial advisor, in order to effect the designation.
Purchase Price
Shares will generally be sold at the prior month’s NAV per share of the class of share being purchased, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. Although the price you pay for shares of our common stock will generally be based on the prior month’s NAV per share, the NAV per share of such stock for the month in which you make your purchase may be significantly different. We may offer shares at a price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of such stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share (including by updating a previously disclosed offering price) or suspend our offering in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing fees are charged differently with respect to each class. See “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines” for more information about the calculation of NAV per share.
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If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that you purchase in our primary offering will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. Shares are offered pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan at the transaction price at the time the distribution is payable, which will generally be equal to our prior month’s NAV per share for that share class.
We will generally adhere to the following procedures relating to purchases of shares of our common stock in this continuous offering:
• | On each business day, our transfer agent will collect purchase orders. Notwithstanding the submission of an initial purchase order, we can reject purchase orders for any reason, even if a prospective investor meets the minimum suitability requirements outlined in our prospectus. Investors may only purchase our common stock pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first calendar day of each month (based on the prior month’s transaction price), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price of our common stock being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month. If a purchase order is received less than five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month, unless waived by the Dealer Manager, the purchase order will be executed in the next month’s closing at the transaction price applicable to that month, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. As a result of this process, the price per share at which your order is executed may be different than the price per share for the month in which you submitted your purchase order. |
• | Generally, within 15 calendar days after the last calendar day of each month, we will determine our NAV per share for each share class as of the last calendar day of the prior month, which will generally be the transaction price for the then-current month for such share class. |
• | Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us before the later of (i) two business days before the first calendar day of each month and (ii) three business days after we make the transaction price (including any subsequent revised transaction price in the circumstances described below) publicly available by posting it on our website and filing a prospectus supplement with the SEC. |
• | Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on our toll-free, automated telephone line,833-433-4344. |
• | You will receive a confirmation statement of each new transaction in your account as soon as practicable but generally not later than seven business days after the stockholder transactions are settled. The confirmation statement will include information on how to obtain information we have filed with the SEC and made publicly available on our website,www.starwoodNAV.reit, including supplements to the prospectus. |
Our transaction price will generally be based on our prior month’s NAV. Our NAV may vary significantly from one month to the next. Through our website atwww.starwoodNAV.reit and prospectus supplement filings, you will have information about the transaction price and NAV per share. We may set a transaction price that we believe reflects the NAV per share of our stock more appropriately than the prior month’s NAV per share (including by updating a previously disclosed offering price) or suspend our offering in cases where we believe there has been a material change (positive or negative) to our NAV per share since the end of the prior month. If the transaction price is not made available on or before the eighth business day before the first calendar day of the month (which is six business days before the earliest date we may accept subscriptions), or a previously disclosed transaction price for that month is changed, then we will provide notice of such transaction price (and the first day on which we may accept subscriptions) directly to subscribing investors when such transaction price is made available.
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In contrast to securities traded on an exchange orover-the-counter, where the price often fluctuates as a result of, among other things, the supply and demand of securities in the trading market, our NAV will be calculated once monthly using our valuation methodology, and the price at which we sell new shares and repurchase outstanding shares will not change depending on the level of demand by investors or the volume of requests for repurchases.
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General
While you should view your investment as long term with limited liquidity, we have adopted a share repurchase plan, whereby on a monthly basis, stockholders may request that we repurchase all or any portion of their shares. Due to the illiquid nature of investments in real estate, we may not have sufficient liquid resources to fund repurchase requests. In addition, we have established limitations on the amount of funds we may use for repurchases during any calendar month and quarter. See “—Repurchase Limitations” below.
You may request that we repurchase shares of our common stock through your financial advisor or directly with our transfer agent. The procedures relating to the repurchase of shares of our common stock are as follows:
• | Under our share repurchase plan, to the extent we choose to repurchase shares in any particular month we will only repurchase shares as of the opening of the last calendar day of that month (a “Repurchase Date”). To have your shares repurchased, your repurchase request and required documentation must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the second to last business day of the applicable month. Settlements of share repurchases will be made within three business days of the Repurchase Date. Repurchase requests received and processed by our transfer agent will be effected at a repurchase price equal to the transaction price on the applicable Repurchase Date (which will generally be equal to our prior month’s NAV per share), subject to any Early Repurchase Deduction. |
• | A stockholder may withdraw his or her repurchase request by notifying the transfer agent, directly or through the stockholder’s financial intermediary, on our toll-free, automated telephone line,833-433-4344. The line is open on each business day between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time). Repurchase requests must be cancelled before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the last business day of the applicable month. |
• | If a repurchase request is received after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the second to last business day of the applicable month, the purchase order will be executed, if at all, on the next month’s Repurchase Date at the transaction price applicable to that month (subject to any Early Repurchase Deduction), unless such request is withdrawn prior to the repurchase. Repurchase requests received and processed by our transfer agent on a business day, but after the close of business on that day or on a day that is not a business day, will be deemed received on the next business day. |
• | Repurchase requests may be made by mail or by contacting your financial intermediary, both subject to certain conditions described in this prospectus. If making a repurchase request by contacting your financial intermediary, your financial intermediary may require you to provide certain documentation or information. If making a repurchase request by mail to the transfer agent, you must complete and sign a repurchase authorization form, which can be found in our share repurchase plan filed as an exhibit to this registration of which this prospectus forms a part and which will also be available on our website,www.starwoodNAV.reit. Written requests should be sent to the transfer agent at the following address: |
DST Systems, Inc.
PO Box 219426
Kansas City, MO 641121-9349
Overnight Address:
DST Systems, Inc.
430 W 7th St. Suite 219349
Kansas City, MO 64105
Toll Free Number:833-433-4344
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Corporate investors and othernon-individual entities must have an appropriate certification on file authorizing repurchases. A signature guarantee may be required.
• | For processed repurchases, stockholders may request that repurchase proceeds are to be paid by mailed check provided that the amount is less than $100,000 and the check is mailed to an address on file with the transfer agent for at least 30 days. |
• | Processed repurchases of more than $100,000 will be paid only via wire transfer. For this reason, stockholders who own more than $100,000 of our common stock must provide wiring instructions for their brokerage account or designated U.S. bank account. Stockholders who own less than $100,000 of our common stock may also receive repurchase proceeds via wire transfer, provided the payment amount is at least $2,500. For all repurchases paid via wire transfer, the funds will be wired to the account on file with the transfer agent or, upon instruction, to another financial institution provided that the stockholder has made the necessary funds transfer arrangements. The customer service representative can provide detailed instructions on establishing funding arrangements and designating your bank or brokerage account on file. Funds will be wired only to U.S. financial institutions (ACH network members). |
• | A medallion signature guarantee will be required in certain circumstances. The medallion signature process protects stockholders by verifying the authenticity of a signature and limiting unauthorized fraudulent transactions. A medallion signature guarantee may be obtained from a domestic bank or trust company, broker-dealer, clearing agency, savings association or other financial institution which participates in a medallion program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. The three recognized medallion programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program and the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program. Signature guarantees from financial institutions which are not participating in any of these medallion programs will not be accepted. A notary public cannot provide signature guarantees. We reserve the right to amend, waive or discontinue this policy at any time and establish other criteria for verifying the authenticity of any repurchase or transaction request. We may require a medallion signature guarantee if, among other reasons: (1) the amount of the repurchase request is over $500,000; (2) you wish to have repurchase proceeds transferred by wire to an account other than the designated bank or brokerage account on file for at least 30 days or sent to an address other than your address of record for the past 30 days; or (3) our transfer agent cannot confirm your identity or suspects fraudulent activity. |
• | If a stockholder has made multiple purchases of shares of our common stock, any repurchase request will be processed on a first in/first out basis unless otherwise requested in the repurchase request. |
Minimum Account Repurchases
In the event that any stockholder fails to maintain the minimum balance of $500 of shares of our common stock, we may repurchase all of the shares held by that stockholder at the repurchase price in effect on the date we determine that the stockholder has failed to meet the minimum balance, less any Early Repurchase Deduction. Minimum account repurchases will apply even in the event that the failure to meet the minimum balance is caused solely by a decline in our NAV. Minimum account repurchases are subject to Early Repurchase Deduction.
Sources of Funds for Repurchases
We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds (including from sales of our common stock or Operating Partnership units to the Special Limited Partner, an affiliate of Starwood Capital), and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources.
In an effort to have adequate cash available to support our share repurchase plan, we may reserve borrowing capacity under a line of credit. We could then elect to borrow against this line of credit in part to repurchase
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shares presented for repurchase during periods when we do not have sufficient proceeds from operating cash flows or the sale of shares in this continuous offering to fund all repurchase requests. If we determine to obtain a line of credit, we would expect that it would afford us borrowing availability to fund repurchases.
Repurchase Limitations
We may repurchase fewer shares than have been requested in any particular month to be repurchased under our share repurchase plan, or none at all, in our discretion at any time. In addition, the total amount of aggregate repurchases of Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares will be limited to no more than 2% of our aggregate NAV per month and no more than 5% of our aggregate NAV per calendar quarter.
In the event that we determine to repurchase some but not all of the shares submitted for repurchase during any month, shares submitted for repurchase during such month will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted after the start of the next month or quarter, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase plan, as applicable.
If the transaction price for the applicable month is not made available by the tenth business day prior to the last business day of the month (or is changed after such date), then no repurchase requests will be accepted for such month and stockholders who wish to have their shares repurchased the following month must resubmit their repurchase requests.
Should repurchase requests, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the company as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in real properties or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our shares is in the best interests of the company as a whole, we may choose to repurchase fewer shares in any particular month than have been requested to be repurchased, or none at all. Further, our board of directors may modify, suspend or terminate our share repurchase plan if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. Material modifications, including any amendment to the 2% monthly or 5% quarterly limitations on repurchases, to and suspensions of the share repurchase plan will be promptly disclosed to stockholders in a prospectus supplement (or post-effective amendment if required by the Securities Act) or special or periodic report filed by us. Material modifications will also be disclosed on our website. In addition, we may determine to suspend the share repurchase plan due to regulatory changes, changes in law or if we become aware of undisclosed material information that we believe should be publicly disclosed before shares are repurchased. Once the share repurchase plan is suspended, our board of directors must affirmatively authorize the recommencement of the plan before stockholder requests will be considered again.
Early Repurchase Deduction
There is no minimum holding period for shares of our common stock and stockholders can request that we repurchase their shares at any time. However, subject to limited exceptions, shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 95% of the transaction price. This Early Repurchase Deduction will also generally apply to minimum account repurchases. The Early Repurchase Deduction will not apply to shares acquired through our distribution reinvestment plan.
The Early Repurchase Deduction will inure indirectly to the benefit of our remaining stockholders and is intended to offset the trading costs, market impact and other costs associated with short-term trading in our common stock. We may, from time to time, waive the Early Repurchase Deduction in the following circumstances:
• | repurchases resulting from death or qualifying disability; or |
• | in the event that a stockholder’s shares are repurchased because the stockholder has failed to maintain the $500 minimum account balance. |
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As set forth above, we may waive the Early Repurchase Deduction in respect of repurchase of shares resulting from the death of a stockholder who is a natural person, subject to the conditions and limitations described above, including shares held by such stockholder through a revocable grantor trust or an IRA or other retirement or profit-sharing plan, after receiving written notice from the estate of the stockholder, the recipient of the shares through bequest or inheritance, or, in the case of a revocable grantor trust, the trustee of such trust, who shall have the sole ability to request repurchase on behalf of the trust. We must receive the written repurchase request within 12 months after the death of the stockholder in order for the requesting party to rely on any of the special treatment described above that may be afforded in the event of the death of a stockholder. Such a written request must be accompanied by a certified copy of the official death certificate of the stockholder. If spouses are joint registered holders of shares, the request to have the shares repurchased may be made if either of the registered holders dies. If the stockholder is not a natural person, such as certain trusts or a partnership, corporation or other similar entity, the right of repurchase upon death does not apply.
Furthermore, as set forth above, we may waive the Early Repurchase Deduction in respect of repurchase of shares held by a stockholder who is a natural person who is deemed to have a qualifying disability (as such term is defined in Section 72(m)(7) of the Code), subject to the conditions and limitations described above, including shares held by such stockholder through a revocable grantor trust, or an IRA or other retirement or profit-sharing plan, after receiving written notice from such stockholder, provided that the condition causing the qualifying disability was notpre-existing on the date that the stockholder became a stockholder. We must receive the written repurchase request within 12 months of the initial determination of the stockholder’s disability in order for the stockholder to rely on any of the waivers described above that may be granted in the event of the disability of a stockholder. If spouses are joint registered holders of shares, the request to have the shares repurchased may be made if either of the registered holders acquires a qualifying disability. If the stockholder is not a natural person, such as certain trusts or a partnership, corporation or other similar entity, the right of repurchase upon disability does not apply.
Our board of directors has designated the following persons as “Key Persons” under our share repurchase plan: Barry Sternlicht, John McCarthy, Chris Graham, Jeff Dishner and any individual that replaces such persons. Our share repurchase plan provides that if two or more such Key Persons are no longer actively involved in the business and activities of our sponsor, or are otherwise unable or unwilling to exercise the authority and discharge those day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to our sponsor as are currently exercised and discharged by such Key Person(s) (such inactivity, inability or unwillingness, “Inactivity”), and our sponsor or Starwood Capital has not appointed one or more replacements who will fulfill substantially all of the duties of one of such Key Persons within 90 days from the date such Inactivity began (meaning, for the sake of clarity, that one Key Person’s responsibilities may remain unfilled for longer than 90 days) (a “Key Person Triggering Event”), then the Early Repurchase Deduction will be waived with respect to shares that have been purchased in the 12 months preceding the expiration of five business days after the public disclosure of the occurrence of such Key Person Triggering Event until the completion of three full calendar months from the time the Key Person Triggering Event is publicly disclosed. The waiver of the Early Repurchase Deduction set forth in this paragraph will not apply to shares acquired through our distribution reinvestment plan.
Items of Note
When you make a request to have shares repurchased, you should note the following:
• | if you are requesting that some but not all of your shares be repurchased, keep your balance above $500 to avoid minimum account repurchase, if applicable; |
• | you will not receive interest on amounts represented by uncashed repurchase checks; |
• | under applicable anti-money laundering regulations and other federal regulations, repurchase requests may be suspended, restricted or canceled and the proceeds may be withheld; and |
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• | all shares of our common stock requested to be repurchased must be beneficially owned by the stockholder of record making the request or his or her estate, heir or beneficiary, or the party requesting the repurchase must be authorized to do so by the stockholder of record of the shares or his or her estate, heir or beneficiary, and such shares of common stock must be fully transferable and not subject to any liens or encumbrances. In certain cases, we may ask the requesting party to provide evidence satisfactory to us that the shares requested for repurchase are not subject to any liens or encumbrances. If we determine that a lien exists against the shares, we will not be obligated to repurchase any shares subject to the lien. |
IRS regulations require us to determine and disclose on Form1099-B the adjusted cost basis for shares of our stock sold or repurchased. Although there are several available methods for determining the adjusted cost basis, unless you elect otherwise, which you may do by checking the appropriate box on the subscription agreement or calling our customer service number at833-433-4344, we will utilize thefirst-in-first-out method.
Frequent Trading and Other Policies
We may reject for any reason, or cancel as permitted or required by law, any purchase orders for shares of our common stock. For example, we may reject any purchase orders from market timers or investors that, in our opinion, may be disruptive to our operations. Frequent purchases and sales of our shares can harm stockholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term stockholders by increasing our costs, disrupting portfolio management strategies and diluting the value of the shares of long-term stockholders.
In general, stockholders may request that we repurchase their shares of our common stock once every 30 days. However, we prohibit frequent trading. We define frequent trading as follows:
• | any stockholder who requests that we repurchase its shares of our common stock within 30 calendar days of the purchase of such shares; |
• | transactions deemed harmful or excessive by us (including, but not limited to, patterns of purchases and repurchases), in our sole discretion; and |
• | transactions initiated by financial advisors, among multiple stockholder accounts, that in the aggregate are deemed harmful or excessive. |
The following are excluded when determining whether transactions are excessive:
• | purchases and requests for repurchase of our shares in the amount of $2,500 or less; |
• | purchases or repurchases initiated by us; and |
• | transactions subject to the trading policy of an intermediary that we deem materially similar to our policy. |
At the Dealer Manager’s discretion, upon the first violation of the policy in a calendar year, purchase and repurchase privileges may be suspended for 90 days. Upon a second violation in a calendar year, purchase and repurchase privileges may be suspended for 180 days. On the next business day following the end of the 90 or 180 day suspension, any transaction restrictions placed on a stockholder may be removed.
Mail and Telephone Instructions
We and our transfer agent will not be responsible for the authenticity of mail or phone instructions or losses, if any, resulting from unauthorized stockholder transactions if they reasonably believe that such instructions were genuine. We and our transfer agent have established reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions are genuine including requiring the stockholder to provide certain specific identifying information on file and sending written confirmation to stockholders of record no later than five days following execution of the
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instruction. Stockholders, or their designated custodian or fiduciary, should carefully review such correspondence to ensure that the instructions were properly acted upon. If any discrepancies are noted, the stockholder, or its agent, should contact his, her or its financial advisor as well as our transfer agent in a timely manner, but in no event more than 60 days from receipt of such correspondence. Failure to notify such entities in a timely manner will relieve us, our transfer agent and the financial advisor of any liability with respect to the discrepancy.
In addition to this prospectus, we will use sales material in connection with the offering of shares, although only when accompanied by or preceded by the delivery of this prospectus. Some or all of the sales material may not be available in certain jurisdictions. This sales material may include information relating to this offering, the past performance of the Advisor and its affiliates, property brochures and articles and publications concerning real estate. In addition, the sales material may contain quotes from various publications without obtaining the consent of the author or the publication for use of the quoted material in the sales material.
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We will cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered to each stockholder, as of a record date after the end of the fiscal year, and to each holder of our other publicly held securities, within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which it relates, an annual report for each fiscal year. The annual reports will contain the following:
• | financial statements that are prepared in accordance with GAAP and are audited by our independent registered public accounting firm; |
• | the ratio of the costs of raising capital during the year to the capital raised; |
• | the aggregate amount of the management fee and the aggregate amount of any other fees paid to the Advisor and any affiliate of the Advisor by us or third parties doing business with us during the year; |
• | our Total Operating Expenses for the year, stated as a percentage of our Average Invested Assets and as a percentage of our Net Income; |
• | a report from the independent directors that our policies are in the best interest of our stockholders and the basis for such determination; and |
• | a separate report containing full disclosure of all material terms, factors and circumstances surrounding any and all transactions involving us and the Advisor, a director or any affiliate thereof during the year, which report the independent directors are specifically charged with a duty to examine and to comment on regarding the fairness of the transactions. |
Alternatively, such information may be provided in a proxy statement delivered with the annual report. We will make available to you on our website,www.starwoodNAV.reit, or, at our discretion, via email, our quarterly and annual reports, proxy statements and other reports and documents concerning your investment. To the extent required by law or regulation, or, in our discretion, we may also make certain of this information available to you via U.S. mail or other courier. You may always receive a paper copy upon request.
Our tax accountants will prepare our federal tax return (and any applicable state income tax returns). Generally we will provide appropriate tax information to our stockholders within 31 days following the end of each fiscal year. Our fiscal year is the calendar year.
The validity of the shares of our common stock being offered hereby has been passed upon for us by Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland. Alston & Bird LLP has reviewed the statements relating to certain U.S. federal income tax matters that are likely to be material to U.S. holders andnon-U.S. holders of our common stock under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and has passed upon the accuracy of those statements as well as our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2018, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The audited historical financial statements of the Noble Portfolio beginning on page 3 of Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A dated March 28, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent auditors, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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The statements included in our prospectus under the captions “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines—Our Independent Valuation Advisor” and “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines—Valuation of Investments,” relating to the role of our independent valuation advisor, have been reviewed by Altus Group U.S. Inc., an independent valuation firm, and are included in our prospectus given the authority of such firm as experts in property valuations and appraisals.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
We have elected to “incorporate by reference” certain information into this prospectus. By incorporating by reference, we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to documents we have filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for information incorporated by reference that is superseded by information contained in this prospectus. You can access documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus at the website we maintain at www.starwoodNAV.reit. There is additional information about us and our affiliates at our website, but unless specifically incorporated by reference herein as described in the paragraphs below, the contents of that website are not incorporated by reference in or otherwise a part of this prospectus.
The following documents filed with the SEC are incorporated by reference in this prospectus (Commission FileNo. 333-220997), except for any document or portion thereof deemed to be “furnished” and not filed in accordance with SEC rules:
• | Annual Report on Form10-K filed with the SEC on March 28, 2019; |
• | Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on March 28, 2019; and |
• | Current Reports on Form8-K filed with the SEC on January 4, 2019, January 16, 2019, March 4, 2019, March 14, 2019 and March 29, 2019. |
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the information that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with this prospectus, free of charge. To receive a copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference in those documents, call or write us at:
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.,
1601 Washington Avenue, Suite 800,
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305)695-5500
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus does not purport to be comprehensive and should be read together with the information contained in the documents.
To help you understand how we protect your personal information, we have included our Privacy Policy as Appendix D to this prospectus. This appendix describes our current privacy policy and practices. Should you decide to establish or continue a stockholder relationship with us, we will advise you of our policy and practices as required by law.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement on FormS-11 with the SEC with respect to the shares of our common stock to be issued in this offering. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement and, as permitted by SEC rules, does not include all of the information you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to the registration statement. For additional information relating to us, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits to the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or document are necessarily summaries of such contract or document and in each instance, if we have filed the contract or document as an exhibit to the registration statement, we refer you to the copy of the contract or document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
We will file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The registration statement is, and any of these future filings with the SEC will be, available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We maintain a web site at www.starwoodNAV.reit where there is additional information about our business, but the contents of the website are not incorporated by reference in or otherwise a part of this prospectus. From time to time, we may use our website as a distribution channel for material company information.
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APPENDIX A: PRIOR PERFORMANCE TABLES
The following prior performance tables provide information relating to certain real estate investment programs sponsored by our sponsor and its affiliates, collectively referred to herein as the prior programs. These prior programs focus on investing in real estate and real estate-related debt. Each individual prior real estate program has its own specific investment objectives; however, the general investment objectives common to all the prior programs include providing investors with investment returns from income-producing real estate and real estate-related debt. We have presented all prior programs that have investment objectives similar to ours and certain other recent programs that do not have investment objectives similar to ours, as required by applicable SEC guidance.
We consider a program to have an investment objective similar to that of our real estate portfolio if the program seeks steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate.
This information should be read together with the summary information included in the “Prior Performance” section of this prospectus.
By purchasing shares in this offering, you will not acquire any ownership interest in any prior real estate programs to which the information in this section relates and you should not assume that you will experience returns, if any, comparable to those experienced by the investors in the prior programs discussed. Further, most of the prior programs discussed in this section were conducted through privately-held entities that were subject neither to the fees and expenses associated with this offering nor all of the laws and regulations that will apply to us as a publicly offered REIT.
Description of the Tables
The following tables are included herein:
Table I | Experience in Raising and Investing Funds | |
Table II | (Omitted) Compensation to Sponsor has been omitted since compensation data is included in Table IV—Results of Completed Programs. | |
Table III | Operating Results of Prior Programs | |
Table IV | Results of Completed Programs | |
Table V | Sales or Disposals of Property |
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TABLE I
EXPERIENCE IN RAISING AND INVESTING FUNDS
Table I provides a summary of the experience of Starwood Capital as a sponsor in raising and investing funds in real estate programs for which the offerings have closed within the last three years or are open-ended. Starwood Property Trust, Inc. has an investment objective that is similar to ours with respect to real estate equity investments. Starwood Capital has no other real estate programs with similar investment objectives to ours that have closed within the last three years or are open-ended. Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited does not have an investment objective similar to ours because it primarily seeks steady income from the origination and acquisition of real estate debt investments in the United Kingdom and wider European Union rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. Starwood Opportunity Fund XI(“SOF-XI”) does not have an investment objective similar to ours because it primarily seeks capital appreciation by generally investing in opportunistic real estate rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. We have excluded the financial position and results of separately managed accounts,co-investment entities, and other vehicles for which Starwood Capital does not have investment acquisition discretion from the table below.
As of December 31, 2018 | ||||||||||||
($/£ in thousands, including footnotes) | Starwood Property Trust(1) | Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited(2) | SOF-XI | |||||||||
Dollar amount offered | $ | 6,117,207 | £ | 371,930 | $ | 7,555,500 | ||||||
Dollar amount raised | $ | 6,117,207 | £ | 371,930 | $ | 7,555,500 | ||||||
Length of offering (in months) | N/A | N/A | 22 | |||||||||
Months to invest 90% of amount available for investment (measured from beginning of offering)(3) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
(1) | Starwood Property Trust is a publicly-listed REIT on the New York Stock Exchange that offers shares fromtime-to-time in private or public offerings. Dollar amount offered and dollar amount raised represents the par value of common stock plus additionalpaid-in capital as of December 31, 2018 and adds back stockholder equity relating to a subsidiaryspin-off in 2014. On August 17, 2009, Starwood Property Trust raised $893,912 in its initial public offering. |
(2) | Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited is a London Stock Exchange listed company that offers shares fromtime-to-time. The functional currency of the company is Pounds Sterling (GBP) and the amounts listed reflect the share capital raised (less issuance costs) in GBP. On December 17, 2012, Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited raised £223,834 in its initial public offering. |
(3) | Starwood Property Trust and Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited are publicly-listed companies and, therefore, disclosure is not meaningful.SOF-XI is currently in its investment period and has not reached 90% invested. |
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TABLE III
OPERATING RESULTS OF PRIOR PROGRAMS
Table III summarizes the operating results of Starwood Capital’s prior programs that have had offerings close during the five years ended December 31, 2018 or are open-ended. Starwood Property Trust, Inc. has an investment objective that is similar to ours with respect to real estate equity investments. Starwood Capital has no other real estate programs with similar investment objectives to ours that have closed within the last five years or are open-ended. Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited does not have an investment objective similar to ours because it primarily seeks steady income from the origination and acquisition of real estate debt investments in the United Kingdom and wider European Union rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. Starwood Waypoint Homes does not have an investment objective similar to ours because it primarily seeks capital appreciation and income by investing in single-family residential assets and relatednon-performing loans rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. Starwood Opportunity Fund XI(“SOF-XI”), Starwood Global Opportunity Fund X(“SOF-X”) and Starwood Distressed Opportunity Fund IX(“SOF-IX”) do not have investment objectives similar to ours because they primarily seek capital appreciation by generally investing in opportunistic real estate rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. We have excluded the financial position and results of separately managed accounts,co-investment entities, and other vehicles for which Starwood Capital does not have investment acquisition discretion from the table below.
Starwood Property Trust | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
($ in thousands) | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total revenues | $ | 702,875 | $ | 735,877 | $ | 784,667 | $ | 879,888 | $ | 1,109,280 | ||||||||||
Interest expense | (161,104 | ) | (202,550 | ) | (230,799 | ) | (295,666 | ) | (408,188 | ) | ||||||||||
Other costs and expenses | (322,905 | ) | (333,729 | ) | (420,328 | ) | (439,583 | ) | (569,444 | ) | ||||||||||
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Income before other income and income taxes | 218,866 | 199,598 | 133,540 | 144,639 | 131,648 | |||||||||||||||
Other income | 307,319 | 269,791 | 242,455 | 299,650 | 294,879 | |||||||||||||||
Income tax provision | (24,096 | ) | (17,206 | ) | (8,344 | ) | (31,522 | ) | (15,330 | ) | ||||||||||
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | (1,551 | ) | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
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Net income | 500,538 | 452,183 | 367,651 | 412,767 | 411,197 | |||||||||||||||
Net income attributable tonon-controlling interests | (5,517 | ) | (1,486 | ) | (2,465 | ) | (11,997 | ) | (25,367 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net income attributable to Starwood Property Trust, Inc. | 495,021 | 450,697 | 365,186 | 400,770 | 385,830 | |||||||||||||||
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Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities | 220,709 | 605,677 | 556,630 | (246,839 | ) | 585,470 | ||||||||||||||
Net cash flows used in investing activities | (1,714,830 | ) | (420,035 | ) | (800,538 | ) | (1,036,560 | ) | (2,520,809 | ) | ||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities | 1,437,513 | (93,262 | ) | 505,513 | 1,047,684 | 2,004,724 | ||||||||||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash distributions paid to common stockholders | 401,661 | 446,847 | 458,351 | 501,663 | 509,966 | |||||||||||||||
Total distributions paid to common stockholders (per $1,000 invested):(1) | 105 | 108 | 100 | 108 | 104 | |||||||||||||||
Source of cash distributions: | ||||||||||||||||||||
From operations | 335,237 | 353,602 | 341,821 | 370,501 | 443,713 | |||||||||||||||
From sales of loans and investments | 66,424 | 93,245 | 116,530 | 131,162 | 66,253 | |||||||||||||||
From refinancings | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | 116,099,297 | 85,698,354 | 77,256,266 | 62,941,289 | 68,262,453 | |||||||||||||||
Total liabilities | 112,216,385 | 81,527,411 | 72,696,193 | 58,362,088 | 63,362,264 |
(1) | Dollars invested includes par value of common stock plus additionalpaid-in capital, less treasury stock. |
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Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
(GBP in thousands) | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total income | £ | 16,181 | £ | 22,760 | £ | 27,844 | £ | 31,989 | £ | 32,177 | ||||||||||
Total expenses | (1,538 | ) | (4,005 | ) | (2,596 | ) | (5,427 | ) | (6,001 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net income | 14,643 | 18,755 | 25,248 | 26,562 | 26,176 | |||||||||||||||
Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | (53,981 | ) | (68,488 | ) | (11,587 | ) | (7,610 | ) | (11,539 | ) | ||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by investing activities | 139 | 34 | 17 | 20 | 21 | |||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities | (12,696 | ) | 56,089 | 41,407 | (11,891 | ) | 27,727 | |||||||||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash distributions paid to common stockholders | 12,381 | 18,121 | 21,303 | 24,376 | 24,376 | |||||||||||||||
Total distributions paid to common stockholders (per £1,000 invested):(1) | 53 | 60 | 57 | 66 | 66 | |||||||||||||||
Source of cash distributions: | ||||||||||||||||||||
From operations | 12,080 | 15,103 | 21,303 | 17,935 | 24,376 | |||||||||||||||
From loan repayments | 301 | 3,018 | — | 6,441 | — | |||||||||||||||
From refinancings | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | 239,626 | 314,442 | 390,977 | 405,631 | 464,820 | |||||||||||||||
Total liabilities | 1,342 | 8,968 | 10,026 | 22,491 | 79,827 |
(1) | GBP invested represents share capital as of eachyear-end date. |
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SOF-XI(1) | ||||||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
($ in thousands, including footnotes) | 2016(2) | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||||||
Total investment income | $ | — | $ | 34,742 | $ | 66,366 | ||||||
Interest expense | — | (19,660 | ) | (70,957 | ) | |||||||
Other fund-level expenses | (41 | ) | (42,433 | ) | (93,150 | ) | ||||||
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Net investment loss | (41 | ) | (27,351 | ) | (97,741 | ) | ||||||
Realized gain on investment | — | 648 | 56,587 | |||||||||
Unrealized gain on investment | — | 44,422 | 162,679 | |||||||||
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Net (loss) income(3) | (41 | ) | 17,719 | 121,525 | ||||||||
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Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||||||
Net cash flows used in operating activities | — | (1,011,301 | ) | (1,563,462 | ) | |||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities | — | — | — | |||||||||
Net cash flows provided by financing activities | — | 1,021,678 | 1,571,608 | |||||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||||||
Cash distributions paid to limited partners: | — | — | — | |||||||||
Total distributions paid to limited partners (per $1,000 invested): | — | — | — | |||||||||
Source of cash distributions to limited partners: | ||||||||||||
From operations | — | — | — | |||||||||
From sales of properties | — | — | — | |||||||||
From refinancings | — | — | — | |||||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||
Total assets | — | 1,054,382 | 2,748,405 | |||||||||
Total liabilities | 3,541 | 1,041,196 | 2,387,355 |
(1) | Represents aggregate amounts for the master-feeder complex and is presented on an investment company basis in accordance with GAAP. |
(2) | For the period from September 15, 2016 (inception) through December 31, 2016. |
(3) | During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 an incentive allocation of $29,265, $5,341 and $0 respectively, has been accrued from the limited partners to the general partner. The operating results above are not impacted by the incentive allocation. |
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SOF-X(1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
($ in thousands, including footnotes) | 2014(2) | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total investment income | $ | 9,769 | $ | 177,775 | $ | 350,774 | $ | 241,190 | $ | 211,193 | ||||||||||
Interest expense | (8,542 | ) | (48,828 | ) | (30,157 | ) | (27,672 | ) | (32,786 | ) | ||||||||||
Other fund-level expenses | (9,213 | ) | (46,083 | ) | (57,959 | ) | (57,520 | ) | (47,631 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net investment income (loss) | (7,986 | ) | 82,864 | 262,658 | 155,998 | 130,776 | ||||||||||||||
Realized gain on investment | 719 | 22,146 | 199,572 | 599,637 | 602,799 | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized gain (loss) on investment | 18,877 | 328,839 | 184,127 | (99,052 | ) | (248,765 | ) | |||||||||||||
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Net income(3) | 11,610 | 433,849 | 646,357 | 656,583 | 484,810 | |||||||||||||||
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Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities | (1,024,570 | ) | (2,078,067 | ) | (684,288 | ) | 953,050 | 1,645,191 | ||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in ) financing activities | 1,029,895 | 2,076,043 | 686,570 | (956,906 | ) | (1,641,374 | ) | |||||||||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash distributions paid to limited partners: | — | 53,703 | 750,244 | 1,284,428 | 1,933,593 | |||||||||||||||
Total distributions paid to limited partners (per $1,000 invested): | — | 108 | 218 | 322 | 425 | |||||||||||||||
Source of cash distributions to limited partners: | ||||||||||||||||||||
From operations | — | 53,703 | 262,658 | 155,998 | 130,776 | |||||||||||||||
From sales of properties | — | — | 487,586 | 1,128,430 | 1,802,817 | |||||||||||||||
From refinancings | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | 1,024,226 | 3,499,934 | 4,782,471 | 4,514,299 | 3,361,628 | |||||||||||||||
Total liabilities | 1,014,217 | 2,610,938 | 1,044,897 | 860,143 | 619,162 |
(1) | Represents aggregate amounts for the master-feeder complex and is presented on an investment company basis in accordance with GAAP. |
(2) | For the period from June 17, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014. |
(3) | During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 an incentive allocation of $94,944, $127,998, $125,357, $81,799 and $1,955 respectively, has been accrued from the limited partners to the general partner. The operating results above are not impacted by the incentive allocation. |
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SOF-IX(1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
($ in thousands, including footnotes) | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total investment income | $ | 218,757 | $ | 409,500 | $ | 200,479 | $ | 340,368 | $ | 103,163 | ||||||||||
Interest expense | (16,914 | ) | (15,255 | ) | (5,346 | ) | (2,037 | ) | (3,595 | ) | ||||||||||
Other fund-level expenses | (37,439 | ) | (41,512 | ) | (28,299 | ) | (25,540 | ) | (20,989 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net investment income | 164,404 | 352,733 | 166,834 | 312,791 | 78,579 | |||||||||||||||
Realized gain on investment | 49,039 | 189,175 | 704,143 | 233,993 | 182,629 | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized gain (loss) on investment | 879,700 | 251,040 | (462,716 | ) | (317,846 | ) | (198,529 | ) | ||||||||||||
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Net income(2) | 1,093,143 | 792,948 | 408,261 | 228,938 | 62,679 | |||||||||||||||
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Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities | (372,523 | ) | 800,965 | 1,179,887 | 900,281 | 853,781 | ||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities | 379,297 | (809,290 | ) | (1,179,948 | ) | (900,644 | ) | (853,250 | ) | |||||||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash distributions paid to limited partners: | 686,880 | 1,396,723 | 786,594 | 907,174 | 780,570 | |||||||||||||||
Total distributions paid to limited partners (per $1,000 invested): | 223 | 400 | 203 | 234 | 202 | |||||||||||||||
Source of cash distributions to limited partners: | ||||||||||||||||||||
From operations | 164,404 | 352,733 | 166,834 | 312,791 | 78,579 | |||||||||||||||
From sales of properties | 522,476 | 766,843 | 619,760 | 518,870 | 701,991 | |||||||||||||||
From refinancings | — | 277,147 | — | 75,513 | — | |||||||||||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | 4,450,418 | 4,430,502 | 3,678,805 | 3,006,103 | 2,216,010 | |||||||||||||||
Total liabilities | 556,079 | 747,235 | 1,906 | 65,410 | 23,888 |
(1) | Represents aggregate amounts for the master-feeder complex and is presented on an investment company basis in accordance with GAAP. |
(2) | During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 an incentive allocation of $15,749, $44,745, $79,716, $153,854 and $212,180, respectively, has been accrued from the limited partners to the general partner. The operating results above are not impacted by the incentive allocation. |
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Starwood Waypoint Homes | ||||||||
Year Ended (Unaudited) | ||||||||
($ in thousands) | 2014 | 2015(2) | ||||||
Summary of Operating Results | ||||||||
Total revenues | $ | 142,863 | $ | 271,837 | ||||
Interest expense | (35,223 | ) | (76,800 | ) | ||||
Depreciation and amortization | (41,872 | ) | (80,080 | ) | ||||
Other costs and expenses | (152,501 | ) | (200,201 | ) | ||||
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Loss before other income and income tax expense | (86,733 | ) | (85,244 | ) | ||||
Other income, net of other expenses | 43,663 | 41,346 | ||||||
Income tax expense | (460 | ) | (159 | ) | ||||
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Net loss | (43,530 | ) | (44,057 | ) | ||||
Net income attributable tonon-controlling interests | (165 | ) | (336 | ) | ||||
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Net loss attributable to Starwood Waypoint Homes. | (43,695 | ) | (44,393 | ) | ||||
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Summary Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||
Net cash flows used in operating activities | (81,100 | ) | (80,697 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows used in investing activities | (1,627,528 | ) | (87,285 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows provided by financing activities | 1,839,213 | 80,269 | ||||||
Amount and Source of Cash Distributions | ||||||||
Cash distributions paid to common stockholders | 5,526 | 30,933 | ||||||
Total distributions paid to common stockholders (per $1,000 invested)(1): | 5 | 27 | ||||||
Source of cash distributions: | ||||||||
From operations | — | — | ||||||
From sales of real estate and loans | 5,526 | 30,933 | ||||||
From refinancings | — | — | ||||||
Summary Balance Sheet | ||||||||
Total assets | 2,936,163 | 3,007,679 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 1,855,728 | 1,996,802 |
(1) | Dollars invested includes par value of common stock plus additionalpaid-in capital. |
(2) | We have excluded the financial position and results of Starwood Waypoint Homes for the period after December 31, 2015. Starwood Capital no longer had investment acquisition discretion in connection with Starwood Waypoint Homes as of January 5, 2016. |
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TABLE IV
RESULTS OF COMPLETED PROGRAMS
Table IV summarizes information on the results of prior Starwood Capital real estate programs that have completed operations during the five years ended December 31, 2018. No prior Starwood Capital programs with investment objectives similar to ours have completed operations during the five years ended December 31, 2018. Starwood Opportunity Fund VI, L.P.(“SOF-VI”) did not have an investment objective similar to ours because it primarily sought capital appreciation by generally investing in opportunistic real estate rather than seeking steady income and potential capital appreciation by investing primarily in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate. Starwood Debt Fund II, L.P. (“Debt Fund II”) did not have an investment objective similar to ours as it primarily sought capital appreciation by generally investing in opportunistic debt securities and other debt interests rather than seeking steady income and capital appreciation by investing in stabilized or substantially stabilized real estate.
All figures are through the last full quarter prior to completion of the program unless otherwise noted.
($ in thousands) | Debt Fund II | SOF-VI | ||||||
Date of final sale of property/investment | 12/2015 | 11/2017 | ||||||
Duration of program (months) | 84 | 192 | ||||||
Dollar amount raised | $ | 338,400 | $ | 567,000 | ||||
Annualized Return on Investment | 8 | % | 5 | % | ||||
Median Annual Leverage | 46 | % | 56 | % | ||||
Aggregate compensation paid or reimbursed to the sponsor or its affiliates | $ | 13,248 | $ | 119,235 |
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TABLE V
SALES OR DISPOSALS OF PROPERTY
Table V summarizes all sales or disposals of property by Starwood Capital’s prior programs with similar investment objectives to ours during the three-year period ended December 31, 2018. The properties presented below were sold or disposed of by Starwood Property Trust, Inc. which has an investment objective that is similar to ours with respect to real estate equity investments.
Selling Price, Net of Closing Costs, and GAAP Adjustments(1) | Cost of Properties, Including Closing and Soft Costs(1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Property | Location | Date Acquired | Date of Sale | Cash Received Net of Closing Costs | Mortgage Balance at Time of Sale | Purchase Money Mortgage Taken Back by Program | Adjustments Resulting from Application of GAAP | Total | Original Mortgage Financing | Total Acquisition Costs, Capital Improvement, Closing and Soft Costs | Total | Excess (Deficiency) of Property Operating Cash Receipts Over Cash Expenditures(1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 Merrion | Dublin, Ireland | 5/8/2015 | 6/12/2017 | $ | 1,082 | $ | 2,775 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 3,858 | $ | 2,112 | $ | 1,388 | $ | 3,500 | $ | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Landmark Apartments | Waco, TX | 9/11/2014 | 5/30/2017 | 8,030 | — | — | — | 8,030 | — | 3,102 | 3,102 | 1,408 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Villas at Lanier | Gainsville, GA | 5/18/2015 | 8/31/2017 | 8,460 | 5,550 | — | — | 14,010 | 5,550 | 2,117 | 7,667 | 1,200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Evensham Crossing | Evesham, NJ | 5/28/2015 | 9/28/2017 | 11,294 | — | — | — | 11,294 | — | 8,149 | 8,149 | 1,010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Loganville Town Center | Loganville, GA | 11/5/2015 | 12/22/2017 | 6,366 | 5,152 | — | — | 11,519 | 5,300 | 4,177 | 9,477 | 1,246 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Park Villa Apartments | Atlanta, GA | 6/30/2016 | 6/23/2017 | 6,368 | — | — | — | 6,368 | — | 3,738 | 3,738 | 370 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rock Springs Retail Center | Las Vegas, NV | 12/9/2015 | 3/9/2018 | 6,727 | — | — | — | 6,727 | — | 3,698 | 3,698 | 586 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summergate Shopping Center | Las Vegas, NV | 12/9/2015 | 3/22/2018 | 4,026 | — | — | — | 4,026 | — | 2,517 | 2,517 | 497 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maple Village | Pell City, AL | 10/5/2016 | 3/23/2018 | 3,979 | — | — | — | 3,979 | — | 3,843 | 3,843 | 937 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexander Village | Durham, NC | 7/20/2015 | 4/6/2018 | 4,921 | 6,114 | — | — | 11,035 | 8,200 | 745 | 8,945 | 1,432 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Millennium Plaza | Weston, FL | 12/3/2015 | 4/30/2018 | 8,078 | 5,014 | — | — | 13,092 | 5,000 | 1,503 | 6,503 | 1,126 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRP - Easton | Columbus, OH | 5/6/2016 | 7/18/2018 | 2,567 | — | — | — | 2,567 | — | 2,419 | 2,419 | 295 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRP - Reynoldsburg | Columbus, OH | 5/6/2016 | 8/31/2018 | 2,738 | — | — | — | 2,738 | — | 2,457 | 2,457 | 525 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRP - Polaris | Columbus, OH | 5/6/2016 | 8/31/2018 | 2,037 | — | — | — | 2,037 | — | 1,863 | 1,863 | 393 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRP - Dublin | Columbus, OH | 5/6/2016 | 8/31/2018 | 1,189 | — | — | — | 1,189 | — | 1,383 | 1,383 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brookpark | Brookpark, OH | 4/16/2014 | 11/1/2018 | 2,509 | — | — | — | 2,509 | — | 4,497 | 4,497 | 2,057 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Centre at Culpeper | Culpeper, VA | 5/26/2016 | 10/2/2018 | 5,470 | 9,750 | — | — | 15,220 | 9,750 | 3,093 | 12,843 | 1,640 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University Plaza | Houston, TX | 8/5/2015 | 10/30/1018 | 3,657 | 7,138 | — | — | 10,795 | 7,500 | 635 | 8,135 | 2,711 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Retail - 1 BP Drive | Little Rock, AR | 9/25/2017 | 2/6/2018 | 24,842 | — | — | — | 24,842 | — | 20,770 | 20,770 | 547 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Retail- 750 BP Drive NE | Palm Bay, FL | 9/25/2017 | 3/2/2018 | 11,397 | — | — | — | 11,397 | — | 11,920 | 11,920 | 283 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Retail - 391 North CB Drive | Farmington, UT | 9/25/2017 | 5/18/2018 | 18,248 | — | — | — | 18,248 | — | 15,506 | 15,506 | 675 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Retail - 110 CB Blvd. East | Dundee, MI | 9/25/2017 | 10/25/2018 | 32,412 | — | — | — | 32,412 | — | 33,122 | 33,122 | 2,648 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Industrial - 100 Distribution Road | Triadelphia, WV | 9/25/2017 | 12/20/2018 | 28,297 | 24,900 | — | — | 53,197 | 24,900 | 22,369 | 47,269 | 2.630 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Industrial - 2000 West CB Way | Tooele, UT | 9/25/2017 | 12/20/2018 | 21,247 | 19,700 | — | — | 40,947 | 19,700 | 16,522 | 36,222 | 1,669 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cabela’s Industrial - 33901 State Highway 35 | Prairie du Chien, WI | 9/25/2017 | 12/20/2018 | 23,863 | 26,400 | — | — | 50,263 | 26,400 | 18,217 | 44,617 | 2,986 |
(1) | In thousands. |
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APPENDIX B: DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN
This Distribution Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) is adopted by Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to its Articles of Amendment and Restatement (as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Charter”). Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the same meaning as set forth in the Charter.
1.Distribution Reinvestment. As agent for the stockholders (the “Stockholders”) of the Company who (i) purchase Class T shares, Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares of the Company’s common stock (collectively the “Shares”) pursuant to the Company’s continuous public offering (the “Offering”), or (ii) purchase Shares pursuant to any future offering of the Company (a “Future Offering”), and who do not opt out of participating in the Plan (or, in the case of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Washington investors and clients of participating broker-dealers that do not permit automatic enrollment in the Plan, who opt to participate in the Plan) (the “Participants”), the Company will apply all dividends and other distributions declared and paid in respect of the Shares held by each Participant and attributable to the class of Shares purchased by such Participant (the “Distributions”), including Distributions paid with respect to any full or fractional Shares acquired under the Plan, to the purchase of additional Shares of the same class for such Participant.
2.Effective Date. The effective date of this Plan shall be the date that the minimum offering requirements are met in connection with the Offering and the escrowed subscription proceeds are released to the Company.
3.Procedure for Participation. Any Stockholder (unless such Stockholder is a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon or Washington or is a client of a participating broker-dealer that does not permit automatic enrollment in the Plan) who has received a Prospectus, as contained in the Company’s registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), will automatically become a Participant unless they elect not to become a Participant by noting such election on their subscription agreement. Any Stockholder who is a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon or Washington or is a client of a participating broker-dealer that does not permit automatic enrollment in the Plan who has received a Prospectus, as contained in the Company’s registration statement filed with the SEC, will become a Participant if they elect to become a Participant by noting such election on their subscription agreement. If any Stockholder initially elects not to be a Participant, they may later become a Participant by subsequently completing and executing an enrollment form or any appropriate authorization form as may be available from the Company, the Company’s transfer agent, the dealer manager for the Offering or any soliciting dealer participating in the distribution of Shares for the Offering. Participation in the Plan will begin with the next Distribution payable after acceptance of a Participant’s subscription, enrollment or authorization. Shares will be purchased under the Plan on the date that Distributions are paid by the Company.
4.Suitability. Each Participant is requested to promptly notify the Company in writing if the Participant experiences a material change in his or her financial condition, including the failure to meet the income, net worth and investment concentration standards imposed by such Participant’s state of residence and set forth in the Company’s most recent prospectus. For the avoidance of doubt, this request in no way shifts to the Participant the responsibility of the Company’s sponsor, or any other person selling shares on behalf of the Company to the Participant to make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of Shares is a suitable and appropriate investment based on information provided by such Participant.
5. Purchase of Shares.
A. Participants will acquire Shares from the Company (including Shares purchased by the Company for the Plan in a secondary market (if available) or on a stock exchange (if listed)) under the Plan (the “Plan Shares”) at a price equal to the NAV per Share applicable to the class of Shares purchased by the Participant on the date
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that the distribution is payable (calculated as of the most recent month end). No upfront selling commissions will be payable with respect to shares purchased pursuant to the Plan, but such shares will be subject to ongoing stockholder servicing fees. Participants in the Plan may purchase fractional Shares so that 100% of the Distributions will be used to acquire Shares. However, a Participant will not be able to acquire Plan Shares and such Participant’s participation in the Plan will be terminated to the extent that a reinvestment of such Participant’s distributions in Shares would cause the percentage ownership or other limitations contained in the Charter to be violated.
B. Shares to be distributed by the Company in connection with the Plan may (but are not required to) be supplied from: (i) the Plan Shares which will be registered with the SEC in connection with the Offering or (ii) Shares to be registered with the SEC in a Future Offering for use in the Plan (a “Future Registration”).
6.Taxes. THE REINVESTMENT OF DISTRIBUTIONS DOES NOT RELIEVE A PARTICIPANT OF ANY INCOME TAX LIABILITY THAT MAY BE PAYABLE ON THE DISTRIBUTIONS. INFORMATION REGARDING POTENTIAL TAX INCOME LIABILITY OF PARTICIPANTS MAY BE FOUND IN THE PUBLIC FILINGS MADE BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC.
7.Share Certificates. The ownership of the Shares purchased through the Plan will be in book-entry form unless and until the Company issues certificates for its outstanding Shares.
8.Reports. On a quarterly basis, the Company shall provide each Participant a statement of account describing, as to such Participant: (i) the Distributions reinvested during the quarter; (ii) the number and class of Shares purchased pursuant to the Plan during the quarter; (iii) the per share purchase price for such Shares; and (iv) the total number of Shares purchased on behalf of the Participant under the Plan. On an annual basis, tax information with respect to income earned on Shares under the Plan for the calendar year will be provided to each applicable participant.
9.Termination by Participant. A Participant may terminate participation in the Plan at any time, without penalty, by delivering 10 days’ prior written notice to the Company. This notice must be received by the Company prior to the last day of a quarter in order for a Participant’s termination to be effective for such quarter (i.e., a timely termination notice will be effective as of the last day of a quarter in which it is timely received and will not affect participation in the Plan for any prior quarter). Any transfer of Shares by a Participant to anon-Participant will terminate participation in the Plan with respect to the transferred Shares. If a Participant requests that the Company repurchase all or any portion of the Participant’s Shares, the Participant’s participation in the Plan with respect to the Participant’s Shares for which repurchase was requested but that were not repurchased will be terminated. If a Participant terminates Plan participation, the Company may, at its option, ensure that the terminating Participant’s account will reflect the whole number of shares in such Participant’s account and provide a check for the cash value of any fractional share in such account. Upon termination of Plan participation for any reason, future Distributions will be distributed to the Stockholder in cash.
10.Amendment, Suspension or Termination by the Company. The Board of Directors may by majority vote amend any aspect of the Plan; provided that the Plan cannot be amended to eliminate a Participant’s right to terminate participation in the Plan and that notice of any material amendment must be provided to Participants at least 10 days prior to the effective date of that amendment. The Board of Directors may by majority vote suspend or terminate the Plan for any reason upon ten days’ written notice to the Participants.
11.Liability of the Company. The Company shall not be liable for any act done in good faith, or for any good faith omission to act, including, without limitation, any claims or liability (i) arising out of failure to terminate a Participant’s account upon such Participant’s death prior to timely receipt of notice in writing of such death or (ii) with respect to the time and the prices at which Shares are purchased or sold for a Participant’s account. To the extent that indemnification may apply to liabilities arising under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of a particular state, the Company has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC and certain state securities commissioners, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and, therefore, unenforceable.
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APPENDIX C: FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
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SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT FOR SHARES OF STARWOOD REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC.
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1. SUBSCRIPTION AMOUNT & SHARE CLASS ELECTION
Investment Amount $ (USD) Initial Purchase Subsequent Purchase
SHARE CLASS SELECTIONcheck one box below (required)
SHARE CLASS T (Minimum investment amount $5,000) |
SHARE CLASS S (Minimum investment amount $5,000) |
SHARE CLASS D (Minimum investment $5,000; available for wrap accounts and other eligible investors as disclosed in the prospectus) |
SHARE CLASS I (Minimum investment $1,000,000; available for certainfee-based wrap accounts and other eligible investors, per the prospectus) |
2. FORM OF OWNERSHIP
NON-QUALIFIED ACCOUNT SINGLE OWNER | MINOR ACCOUNT | OTHER ACCOUNT | ||
Individual
Individual withTransfer on Death1
MULTIPLE OWNERS
Joint Tenanats with Right of Survivorship
Joint Tenants withTransfer on Death1
Community Property
Tenants in Common
TRUST
Taxable Trust |
UTMA or UGMA
State of
Date of Birth
QUALIFIED PLAN ACCOUNT2
Traditional IRA
ROTH IRA
SEP/IRA
Rollover IRA |
C Corporation
Pension Plan
S Corporation
Profit Sharing Plan
Non-Profit Organization
LLC
Partnership
Other | ||
1 | Requires Transfer on Death Form, which can be found onwww.starwoodnav.reit |
2 | Requires a Custodian |
3. INVESTOR INFORMATION
A. INVESTOR NAME1(Investor/Trustee/Executor/Authorized Signatory Information)
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First Name | (MI) | Last Name | ||||||
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Social Security Number/Tax ID | Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) | Daytime Phone Number |
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Residential Street Address | City | State | Zip Code | |||||||
IfNon-U.S. Citizen, Specify Country of Citizenship and Select One below(required) | ||||||||||
Resident Alien Non-Resident Alien(Attach current and complete FormW-8BEN) | ||||||||||
Country of Citizenship |
1 | If you are affiliated with Starwood Capital Group, please select one: Employee Officer or Director Affiliate |
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B.CO-INVESTOR NAME(Co-Investor/Co-Trustee/Co-Authorized Signatory Information, if applicable) | ||||||||
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First Name | (MI) | Last Name | ||||||
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Social Security Number/Tax ID | Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY) | Daytime Phone Number |
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Residential Street Address | City | State | Zip Code | |||||||
IfNon-U.S. Citizen, select one below and Specify Country of Citizenship(required) | ||||||||||
ResidentAlien Non-Resident Alien(Attach current and complete FormW-8BEN) | ||||||||||
Country of Citizenship |
C. TRUST/CORP/PARTNERSHIP/OTHER(if applicable): | ||||||||||||
SSN/Tax ID | Date of Formation | |||||||||||
(MM/DD/YYYY) | ||||||||||||
Mailing Address | ||||||||||||
(You must include a permanent U.S. street address even if your mailing address is a P.O. Box) | (City/State) | (ZIP) | ||||||||||
U.S. Street Address | ||||||||||||
(Leave blank if your U.S. street address and mailing address are the same) | (City/State) | (ZIP) |
Trustee(s)/authorized person(s) | ||||||||||
Trustee(s)/authorized person(s) SSN | Date of Birth | |||||||||
(MM/DD/YYYY) |
Trustee(s)/authorized person(s) U.S. Street Address | ||||||||||
(Street) | (City/State) | (ZIP) | ||||||||
Phone# | ||||||||||
Backup withholding exempt payee code (if any)1 | ||||||||||
Exemption from FATCA reporting code (if any)2 |
D. CUSTODIAL ARRANGEMENT(if applicable): |
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Name of Custodian | Custodian Phone # |
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(MM/DD/YYYY) | ||||||||||||
Mailing Address | ||||||||||||
(Street) | (City/State) | (ZIP) | ||||||||||
Custodian Tax ID # |
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(to be completed by custodian above) |
Custodian Account # | Custodian Authorization: |
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(to be completed by custodian above) |
E. ALTERNATIVE MAILING ADDRESS(Complete only if you wish to have mail sent to a different address, other than what you provided above) | ||||||||||
Mailing Address | City | State | Zip Code |
1 | SeeExempt payee codein the Instructions for IRS FormW-9. |
2 | SeeExemption from FATCA reporting codein the Instructions for IRS FormW-9. |
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4. DISTRIBUTION ELECTION
You areautomatically enrolled in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan,unless you are a resident ofALABAMA, ARKANSAS, IDAHO, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, OREGON OR WASHINGTON.
Step 1: | If you are anALABAMA, ARKANSAS, IDAHO, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, OREGON OR WASHINGTON investor andwant to enroll in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, initial here , and move on to Section 5. | |
Step 2: | If you DO NOT want to be enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan: 1)Non-Custodial investors: complete Section 4. A) 2)Custodial Investors: complete Section 4. B) |
4. A) Distribution Election ForNon-Custodial Investors:
Check one of the following three options below if you do not want to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan:
Option | 1. - Send my cash distributions electronicallyvia direct deposit |
Step 1: Attach apre-printed voided check
Step 2: Fill in the following information:
Check one: Checking Account Savings Account | ||||||||
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Financial Institution Name | Mailing Address | City | State | Zip | ||||
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Account Number | ABA Routing Number | |||||||
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Account Name |
I authorize Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. or its agent to deposit my distribution into my checking or savings account. This authority will remain in force until I notify Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. in writing to cancel it. In the event that Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. deposits funds erroneously into my account, they are authorized to debit my account for an amount not to exceed the amount of the erroneous deposit.
Option | 2. - Send my cash distributionsvia check to my mailing address |
Option | 3. - Send my cash distributionsvia check to a third party financial institution |
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Financial Institution Name | Mailing Address | City | State | Zip | ||||
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Account Name | Account Number |
4. B) Distribution Election for Custodial Investors:
Send my cash distributionsto my Custodian of record
(This is the only option available for Custodial Investors who are not participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan)
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5. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY ELECTION(optional)
Instead of receiving paper copies of the prospectus, prospectus supplements, annual reports, proxy statements, and other stockholder communications and reports, you may elect to receive electronic delivery of stockholder communications from Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. If you would like to consent to electronic delivery, including pursuant to email, please check the box below for this election.
We encourage you to reduce printing and mailing costs and to conserve natural resources by electing to receive electronic delivery of stockholder communications and statement notifications. By consenting below to electronically receive stockholder communications, including your account-specific information, you authorize said offering(s) to either (i) email stockholder communications to you directly or (ii) make them available on our website and notify you by email when and where such documents are available.
You will not receive paper copies of these electronic materials unless specifically requested, the delivery of electronic materials is prohibited or we, in our sole discretion, elect to send paper copies of the materials. By consenting to electronic access, you will be responsible for your customary internet service provider charges and may be required to download software in connection with access to these materials.
I consent to electronic delivery(initial here):
Email Address (please print):
6. SUBSCRIBER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. is required by law to obtain, verify and record certain personal information from you or persons on your behalf in order to establish the account. Required information includes name, date of birth, permanent residential address and social security/taxpayer identification number. We may also ask to see other identifying documents. If you do not provide the information, Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not be able to open your account. By signing the Subscription Agreement, you agree to provide this information and confirm that this information is true and correct. If we are unable to verify your identity, or that of another person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or if we believe we have identified potentially criminal activity, we reserve the right to take action as we deem appropriate which may include closing your account.
Please separately initial each of the representations below. Except in the case of fiduciary accounts, you may not grant any person a power of attorney to make the representations on your behalf. In order to induce Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. to accept this subscription, I hereby represent and warrant to you as follows:
Please Note: ALL 7 Items in This Section Must be Read and Initialed | Primary Investor Initials | Co-Investor Initials | ||||||
I have received a copy of the Final Prospectus. | ||||||||
I/We have (i) a minimum net worth (not including home, home furnishings and personal automobiles) of at least $250,000, or (ii) a minimum net worth (as previously described) of at least $70,000 and a minimum annual gross income of at least $70,000. | ||||||||
In addition to the general suitability requirements described above, I/we meet the higher suitability requirements, if any, imposed by my state of primary residence as set forth in the Prospectus under “SUITABILITY STANDARDS.” | ||||||||
I acknowledge that there is no public market for the Shares and, thus, my investment in Shares is not liquid. | ||||||||
I am purchasing the Shares for my own account | ||||||||
I understand that the transaction price per share at which my investment will be executed will be made available at www.starwoodnav.reit and in a prospectus supplement filed with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. |
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Please Note: ALL 7 Items in This Section Must be Read and Initialed | Primary Investor Initials | Co-Investor Initials | ||||||
I acknowledge that, based on my state of residence, I will be automatically enrolled in the distribution reinvestment plan unless I am a resident ofAlabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon or Washington,or I elect to receive cash distributions in Section 4 of this Subscription Agreement. |
Please Note: Only initial applicable items in this section | Primary Investor Initials | Co-Investor Initials | ||||||
If I am an Alabama resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and its affiliates may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a California resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am an Idaho resident,I have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am an Iowa resident,I have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000. In addition, if I am not an accredited investor as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, my aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of other public,non-listed REITs may not exceed 10% of my net worth. | ||||||||
If I am Kansas resident, I understand that it is recommended by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner that I limit my total investment in this offering and othernon-traded real estate investment trusts to not more than 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Kentucky resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and its affiliated non-publicly traded real estate investment trusts may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Maine resident,I understand that the Maine Office of Securities recommends that my aggregate investment in this offering and other similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Massachusetts resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and other illiquid direct participation programs may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Missouri resident,I will limit my aggregate investment in this offering to no more than 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Nebraska residentwho does not meet the definition of “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I will limit my aggregate investment in this offering an in the securities of other public,non-listed REITs to no more than 10% of my net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a New Jersey resident,I have (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. In addition, my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., its affiliates and other public,non-listed direct investment programs (including REITs, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a New Mexico resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc., its affiliates and other public,non-listed REITs may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. |
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Please Note: Only initial applicable items in this section | Primary Investor Initials | Co-Investor Initials | ||||||
If I am a North Dakota resident,I have a net worth of at least ten times my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. | ||||||||
If I am an Ohio resident,it shall be unsuitable for my aggregate investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., its affiliates and other nontraded real estate investment programs to exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am an Oregon resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Pennsylvania resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not exceed 10% of my net worth. In addition, because the minimum offering amount in this offering is less than $265,000,000, I acknowledge that I am cautioned to carefully evaluate the ability of Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. to fully accomplish its stated objectives and to inquire as to the current dollar value of subscriptions in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. | ||||||||
If I am a Puerto Rico resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., its affiliates and othernon-traded REITs may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Tennessee resident,my investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. | ||||||||
If I am a Vermont residentand I am not an “accredited investor” as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501, my investment in this offering may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. |
I understand that my subscription request will not be accepted before the later of (i) two business days before the first calendar day of the month and (ii) three business days after the transaction price is made available. I understand that I am not committed to purchase shares at the time my subscription order is submitted and I may cancel my subscription at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. I understand that I may withdraw my purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through my financial intermediary or directly on Starwood Real Estate Income Trusts Inc.’s toll-free, automated telephone line,877-648-3235.
If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., then Starwood Capital, L.L.C. may be deemed to be acting as your broker of record in connection with any investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. For important information in this respect, see Section 8.I declare that the information supplied above is true and correct and may be relied upon by Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. I acknowledge that the Broker-Dealer/Financial Advisor (Broker-Dealer/Financial Advisor of record) indicated in Section 8 of this Subscription Agreement and its designated clearing agent, if any, will have full access to my account information, including the number of shares I own, tax information (including the Form 1099) and redemption information. Investors may change the Broker-Dealer/Financial Advisor of record at any time by contacting Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
7. IMPORTANT INFORMATION RIGHTS, CERTIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS
SUBSTITUTE IRS FORMW-9 CERTIFICATIONS (required for U.S. investors)
Under penalties of perjury, I certify that:
(1) | The number shown on this Subscription Agreement is my correct taxpayer identification number (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me); and |
(2) | I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding; and |
(3) | I am a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person (including a resident alien) (defined in IRS FormW-9); and |
(4) | The FATCA code(s) entered on this form (if any) indicating that I am exempt from FATCA reporting is correct. |
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Certification instructions.You must cross out item 2 above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return.
The Internal Revenue Service does not require your consent to any provision of this document other than the certifications required to avoid backup withholding.
X | X | |||||||||
Signature of Investor | Date | Signature of Co-Investor or Custodian (If applicable) | Date |
(MUST BE SIGNED BY CUSTODIAN OR TRUSTEE IF PLAN IS ADMINISTERED BY A THIRD PARTY)
8. | BROKER-DEALER, FINANCIAL ADVISOR INFORMATION |
(Required Information. All fields must be completed) |
Broker-Dealer
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Financial Advisor Name
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Advisor Mailing Address
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City
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Financial Advisor BD Number
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E-mail Address |
Fax Number |
Please note that unless previously agreed to in writing by Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., all sales of securities must be made through a Broker- Dealer, including when an RIA has introduced the sale. In all cases, Section 6 must be completed.
The undersigned confirm(s), which confirmation is made on behalf of the Broker-Dealer with respect to sales of securities made through a Broker-Dealer, that they (i) have reasonable grounds to believe that the information and representations concerning the investor identified herein are true, correct and complete in all respects; (ii) have discussed such investor’s prospective purchase of Shares with such investor; (iii) have advised such investor of all pertinent facts with regard to the lack of liquidity and marketability of the Shares; (iv) have delivered or made available a current Prospectus and related supplements, if any, to such investor; (v) have reasonable grounds to believe that the investor is purchasing these Shares for his or her own account; and (vi) have reasonable grounds to believe that the purchase of Shares is a suitable investment for such investor, that such investor meets the suitability standards applicable to such investor set forth in the Prospectus and related supplements, if any, and that such investor is in a financial position to enable such investor to realize the benefits of such an investment and to suffer any loss that may occur with respect thereto. The undersigned Financial Advisor further represents and certifies that, in connection with this subscription for Shares, he or she has complied with and has followed all applicable policies and procedures under his or her firm’s existing Anti- Money Laundering Program and Customer Identification Program.
If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., then Starwood Capital, L.L.C. may be deemed to act as your broker of record in connection with any investment in Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Starwood Capital, L.L.C. is not a full-service broker-dealer and may not provide the kinds of financial services that you might expect from another financial intermediary, such as holding securities in an account. If Starwood Capital, L.L.C. is your broker of record, then your Shares will be held in your name on the books of Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Starwood Capital, L.L.C. will not monitor your investments, and has not and will not make any recommendation regarding your investments. If you want to receive financial advice regarding a prospective investment in the Shares, contact your broker or other financial intermediary.
X | X | |||||||||
Financial Advisor Signature | Date | Branch Manager Signature(If required by Broker-Dealer) | Date |
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9. DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS
*Cash, money order, counter checks, third party checks and travelers checks will NOT be accepted.
If a check received from an investor is returned for insufficient funds or otherwise not honored, Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., or its agent, may return the check with no attempt to redeposit. In such event, any issuance of the shares or declaration of distributions on shares may be rescinded by Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. may reject any subscription, in whole or in part, in its sole discretion.
To ensure the fastest possible processing of this Subscription Agreement, all relevant information must be completed.Each subscription will be accepted or rejected as soon as reasonably possible. However, the Company has up to 30 days to accept or reject each subscription from the date the subscription is received by the Company’s Processing Agent. Investors will receive a confirmation of their purchase.
Custodial accounts, forward subscription agreement to the custodian.
If you have any questions, please contact Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Investor Relations:877-648-3235 To submit this form or any other form by fax, please use the following toll free fax line:833-718-9741
By Mail - Make checks payable to “Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.” or to the custodian
of record for qualified plan or brokerage account investments.
By Wire Transfer | By Standard Mail | Overnight Mail | ||
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. ABA Routing # 101000695 Starwood Account # 9872292278 Include in memo field: FBO (Investor’s Name) | Starwood c/o DST Systems, Inc. as Processing Agent PO BOX 219426 Kansas City, MO 64121-9426 | Starwood c/o DST Systems, Inc. as Processing Agent 430 W 7th Street, STE 219426 Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 | ||
10. ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES
If investors participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan or making subsequent purchases of Shares of Starwood Real Estate IncomeTrust, Inc. experience a material adverse change in their financial condition or can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 6 above, they are asked to promptly notify Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and the Broker-Dealer in writing.
No sale of Shares may be completed until at least five business days after you receive the final Prospectus. To be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price at least five business prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived). You will receive a written confirmation of your purchase.
All items on the Subscription Agreement must be completed in order for your subscription to be processed. Subscribers are encouraged to read the Prospectus in its entirety for a complete explanation of an investment in the Shares of Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
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APPENDIX D: PRIVACY POLICY NOTICE
Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Privacy Notice
Rev September, 2017
FACTS | WHAT DOES STARWOOD REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | |||||
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. | |||||
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:
∎ Social Security number and income
∎ Assets and investment experience
∎ Risk tolerance and transaction history | |||||
How? | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. | |||||
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. share? | Can you limit this sharing? | ||||
For our everyday business purposes—such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No | ||||
For our marketing purposes—to offer our products and services to you | Yes | No | ||||
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don’t share | ||||
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes— information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don’t share | ||||
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes—information about your creditworthiness | No | We don’t share | ||||
For our affiliates to market to you | No | We don’t share | ||||
Four nonaffiliated to market to you | No | We don’t share | ||||
Questions? | Email us at IR@starwoodNAV.reit |
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Who we are | ||||||
Who is providing this notice? | Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. | |||||
What we do | ||||||
How does Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings. | |||||
How does Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you:
∎ open an account or give us your income information
∎ provide employment information or give us your contact information
∎ tell us about your investment or retirement portfolio
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. | |||||
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only:
∎ sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes—information about your creditworthiness
∎ affiliates from using your information to market to you
∎ sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. See below for more on your rights under state law. | |||||
What happens when I limit sharing for an account I hold jointly with someone else? | Your choices will apply to everyone on your account— unless you tell us otherwise. | |||||
Definitions | ||||||
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
∎ Our affiliates include companies with a Starwood name. | |||||
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
∎ Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. | |||||
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.
∎ Our joint marketing partners may include financial services companies. |
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Other important information | ||
California Residents—In accordance with California law, we will not share information we collect about California residents with nonaffiliates except as permitted by law, such as with the consent of the customer or to service the customer’s accounts. We will also limit the sharing of information about you with our affiliates to the extent required by applicable California law. Vermont Residents—In accordance with Vermont law, we will not share information we collect about Vermont residents with nonaffiliates except as permitted by law, such as with the consent of the customer or to service the customer’s accounts. We will not share creditworthiness information about Vermont residents among Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.’s affiliates except with the authorization or consent of the Vermont resident. |
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Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Maximum Offering of $5,000,000,000
Common Stock
Prospectus
April 16, 2019
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to make any representations other than those contained in the prospectus and supplemental literature authorized by Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and referred to in this prospectus, and, if given or made, such information and representations must not be relied upon. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor is it seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of these securities. You should not assume that the delivery of this prospectus or that any sale made pursuant to this prospectus implies that the information contained in this prospectus will remain fully accurate and correct as of any time subsequent to the date of this prospectus.
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STARWOOD REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC.
SUPPLEMENT NO. 1 DATED APRIL 16, 2019
TO THE PROSPECTUS DATED APRIL 16, 2019
This prospectus supplement no. 1 (the “Supplement”) is part of and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus of Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., dated April 16, 2019 (the “Prospectus”). This Supplement supersedes and replaces all prior supplements to the Prospectus. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this Supplement shall have the same meanings as in the Prospectus.
The purposes of this Supplement are to disclose:
• | an update to the status of our public offering; |
• | the April 1, 2019 transaction price; |
• | information regarding our historical NAV per share; |
• | selected financial information; |
• | information regarding distributions; |
• | information regarding redemption of our shares; and |
• | compensation paid to the Advisor and its affiliates. |
Status of Our Public Offering
On December 27, 2017, we commenced our initial public offering of up to $5,000,000,000 in shares of our common stock, consisting of up to $4,000,000,000 in shares to be sold in our primary offering and up to $1,000,000,000 in shares to be sold pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. As of December 21, 2018, we satisfied the minimum offering requirement and our board of directors authorized the release of proceeds from escrow. As of such date, the escrow agent released gross proceeds of approximately $165 million to us in connection with the sale of shares of our common stock. We intend to continue selling shares in the offering on a monthly basis.
As of April 1, 2019, we had accepted investors’ subscriptions for, and issued 14,520,591 shares of our common stock (consisting of 3,991,079 Class I shares, 415,682 Class D shares, 365,947 Class T shares, and 9,747,883 Class S shares) in our initial public offering, resulting in gross offering proceeds of $293 million. We intend to continue selling shares in our initial public offering on a monthly basis.
We are structured as a perpetual-life, non-listed REIT, which means that subject to regulatory approval of our filing for additional offerings and qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we intend to effectively conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of shares of our common stock over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415 of the Securities Act. We will endeavor to take all reasonable actions to avoid interruptions in the continuous offering of our shares of common stock, including filing an amendment to the registration statement with the SEC on or before such time as the most recent offering price per share represents a 20% change from the per share price set forth in the registration statement as originally declared effective by the SEC or the price per share set forth in the latest amendment thereto filed with the SEC. There can be no assurance, however, that we will not need to suspend our continuous offering while the SEC and, where required, state securities regulators, review such amendment until it is declared effective, if at all.
SREIT-SUP1-0419
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April 1, 2019 Transaction Price
The transaction price for each share class of our common stock for subscriptions accepted as of April 1, 2019 (and repurchases as of March 31, 2019) is as follows:
Transaction Price (per share) | ||||
Class S | $ | 20.21 | ||
Class T | $ | 20.15 | ||
Class D | $ | 20.19 | ||
Class I | $ | 20.24 |
The April 1, 2019 transaction price for each of our share classes is equal to such class’s NAV per share as of February 28, 2019. A detailed presentation of the NAV per share is set forth below. The purchase price of our common stock for each share class equals the transaction price of such class, plus applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees.
Historical NAV Per Share
NAV per share is calculated in accordance with the valuation guidelines that have been approved by our board of directors. Our NAV per share, which is updated as of the last calendar day of each month, is posted on our website at www.starwoodNAV.reit. Please refer to “Net Asset Value Calculation and Valuation Guidelines” in the Prospectus for information on how our NAV is determined. The Advisor is ultimately responsible for determining our NAV.
The following table provides a breakdown of the major components of our NAV as of February 28, 2019 ($ and shares in thousands):
Components of NAV | February 28, 2019 | |||
Investments in real properties | $ | 420,550 | ||
Investments in real estate related securities | 16,152 | |||
Cash and cash equivalents | 22,516 | |||
Restricted cash | 72,206 | |||
Other assets | 5,011 | |||
Debt obligations | (270,214 | ) | ||
Subscriptions received in advance | (57,854 | ) | ||
Other liabilities | (14,550 | ) | ||
Accrued performance participation accrual | (320 | ) | ||
Accrued stockholder servicing fees(1) | (237 | ) | ||
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Net asset value | $ | 193,260 | ||
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Number of outstanding shares | 9,560 | |||
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(1) | Stockholder servicing fees only apply to Class S, Class T and Class D shares. |
The following table provides a breakdown of our total NAV and NAV per share by share class as of February 28, 2019:
NAV Per Share | Class S Shares | Class T Shares | Class D Shares | Class I Shares | Total | |||||||||||||||
Net asset value | $ | 151,723,565 | $ | 1,816,576 | $ | 2,309,376 | $ | 37,410,022 | $ | 193,259,539 | ||||||||||
Number of outstanding shares | 7,507,204 | 90,161 | 114,358 | 1,848,452 | 9,560,175 | |||||||||||||||
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NAV per share as of February 28, 2019 | 20.21 | 20.15 | 20.19 | 20.24 |
Consistent with our disclosure in the prospectus regarding our NAV calculation, as of February 28, 2019 our real estate properties are valued at cost. In the future, as we establish new values for our properties, we will provide
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information on the key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow methodology and a sensitivity analysis related thereto.
The following table provides a breakdown of the major components of our NAV as of January 31, 2019 ($ and shares in thousands):
Components of NAV | January 31, 2019 | |||
Investments in real properties | $ | 420,087 | ||
Cash and cash equivalents | 6,415 | |||
Restricted cash | 41,268 | |||
Other assets | 4,401 | |||
Debt obligations | (267,864 | ) | ||
Subscriptions received in advance | (27,230 | ) | ||
Other liabilities | (12,253 | ) | ||
Accrued performance participation accrual | (99 | ) | ||
Accrued stockholder servicing fees(1) | (128 | ) | ||
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Net asset value | $ | 164,597 | ||
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Number of outstanding shares | 8,199 |
(1) | Stockholder servicing fees only apply to Class S, Class T and Class D shares. |
The following table provides a breakdown of our total NAV and NAV per share by share class as of January 31, 2019:
NAV Per Share | Class S Shares | Class T Shares | Class D Shares | Class I Shares | Total | |||||||||||||||
Net asset value | $ | 132,681,232 | $ | 9,697 | $ | 925,445 | $ | 30,980,828 | $ | 164,597,202 | ||||||||||
Number of outstanding shares | 6,610,280 | 483 | 46,075 | 1,542,000 | 8,198,838 | |||||||||||||||
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NAV per share as of January 31, 2019 | $ | 20.07 | $ | 20.07 | $ | 20.09 | $ | 20.09 |
The following table sets forth the NAV per share for each class of our common stock as of the last day of each month since we began calculating our NAV per share following the escrow period:
Date | NAV per Class S Share | NAV per Class T Share | NAV per Class D Share | NAV per Class I Share | ||||||||||||
December 31, 2018 | $ | 20.00 | $ | 20.00 | $ | 20.00 | $ | 20.01 | ||||||||
January 31, 2019 | $ | 20.07 | $ | 20.07 | $ | 20.09 | $ | 20.09 | ||||||||
February 28, 2019 | $ | 20.21 | $ | 20.15 | $ | 20.19 | $ | 20.24 |
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Selected Financial Information
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as incorporated herein by reference. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period. We have not yet invested all of the proceeds received to date from our offering and expect to continue to raise additional capital, increase our borrowings and make future acquisitions, which would have a significant impact on our future results of operations. As of December 31, 2018, we had not commenced principal operations (in thousands, except per share data).
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 | For the Period July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2017 | |||||||
Operating Data | ||||||||
Total revenues | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
Total expenses | 1,745 | 36 | ||||||
Total other income | 52 | — | ||||||
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Net loss | $ | (1,693 | ) | $ | (36 | ) | ||
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Per Share Data | ||||||||
Net loss per share of common stock — basic and diluted | $ | (6.59 | ) | $ | (3.59 | ) | ||
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Gross distributions declared per share of common stock(1) | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
Balance Sheet Data | ||||||||
Total assets | $ | 164,963 | $ | 200 | ||||
Total liabilities | $ | 17,841 | $ | 36 | ||||
Total equity | $ | 147,122 | $ | 164 |
(1) | As of December 31, 2018, no distributions had been declared on shares of our common stock. |
Information Regarding Distributions
As of December 31, 2018, no distributions had been declared on shares of our common stock.
On March 4, 2019, we declared distributions for each class of our common stock in the amount per share set forth below:
Gross Distribution | Stockholder Servicing Fee (1) | Net Distribution | ||||||||||
Class I Common Stock | $ | 0.0840 | ($ | 0.0000 | ) | $ | 0.0840 | |||||
Class D Common Stock | $ | 0.0840 | ($ | 0.0062 | ) | $ | 0.0778 | |||||
Class T Common Stock | $ | 0.0840 | ($ | 0.0132 | ) | $ | 0.0708 | |||||
Class S Common Stock | $ | 0.0840 | ($ | 0.0303 | ) | $ | 0.0537 |
(1) | The stockholder servicing fee per share includes accrued stockholder servicing fees for December 2018, January 2019 and February 2019. |
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On March 29, 2019, we declared distributions for each class of our common stock in the amount per share set forth below:
Gross Distribution | Stockholder Servicing Fee | Net Distribution | ||||||||||
Class I Common Stock | $ | 0.0950 | ($ | 0.0000 | ) | $ | 0.0950 | |||||
Class D Common Stock | $ | 0.0950 | ($ | 0.0043 | ) | $ | 0.0907 | |||||
Class T Common Stock | $ | 0.0950 | ($ | 0.0145 | ) | $ | 0.0805 | |||||
Class S Common Stock | $ | 0.0950 | ($ | 0.0146 | ) | $ | 0.0804 |
Information Regarding Repurchases of Our Shares
As of December 31, 2018, we have not received any requests for repurchases of our common stock.
Compensation Paid to the Advisor and its Affiliates
For the year ended December 31, 2018 the Dealer Manager earned approximately $0.9 million in upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees, all of which were retained by or re-allowed to participating broker-dealers. For the period July 13, 2017 (date of initial capitalization) through December 31, 2017 no fees or expenses were paid or payable to the Advisor and its Affiliates.
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